Arnela is one of our many fantastic nurses in the NICU and somehow trouble frequently makes a habit of finding the shifts that Arnela works. On this night, we got a call to go to Labor and Delivery to resuscitate a 29-weeker immediately as the mother arrived with a bulging bag and prolapsed cord. Arnela went straight to work as the transport nurse and caught the baby in the OR. She began resuscitation efforts immediately. Arnela remained calm and composed as we experienced what we thought would be a normal 29-weeker resuscitation transition, which turned into a lengthy code. Unfortunately, the baby was unable to be resuscitated.

Arnela patiently and carefully gave the baby chest compressions for 30 minutes until the team decided that it was inevitable to call the death. After the event, Arnela carefully cleaned up, bundled and re-swaddled the baby in fresh blankets and a hat so that the baby would look beautiful before taking him to meet his mother. While the team briefly discussed the patient and how they were going to break the news to the mother, Arnela held the baby in her arms and rocked him softly, instead of leaving him alone on the bed. She continued to hold the baby while the providers went in and told the mother that the baby had passed. She held him until the mother was ready to have her baby brought into her room. 

Arnela stayed composed the entire time and showed tremendous strength through a very emotional and tough situation. She held and rocked that sweet baby as if it was her own until his mother was able to take over. This is always the practice that Arnela exemplifies in our unit. She takes the hard days with strength, while caring for each baby like it was her own. On some of our hardest days or nights in the unit, it's the compassion from our nurses like Arnela that make it possible for us to come back and do it all over again.