First and foremost, I wanted to take this moment to give all the thanks to the amazing staff of Labor and Delivery in Kaiser Antioch Sand Creek. With this being my second pregnancy, I was still nervous to give birth because of the fact just six years ago, I was in this same location having my baby girl with my dream team beside me: my fiancé, mother and father, and best friend. Mind you, this was pre-pandemic, and with all the changes in the facilities, I was unsure of the requirements of who all could be present during the time of delivery. I was petrified at the mere thought of only one person being present. Luckily, I later found out the restrictions had now been lifted, yet my dream team was now smaller, given I recently had lost my main cheerleader in my corner. My mother passed away in 2023 due to her battle of Ovarian Cancer, which ended up being the same month I found out I was expecting. 

With this being said, I was terrified at the thought of going into labor without her help and guidance, but to my surprise, I was blessed with my living guardian angel, Nurse Rosie Yciano. As my family and I approached the ER at 4 pm Thursday afternoon, we were blessed to meet her acquittance. Nurse Rosie, who had just ended her “16-hr double shift”, was exiting the building as we were pulling up. Some way, somehow she and I locked eyes, and her instincts immediately kicked in full gear when she heard my screams and saw my legs (and feet) in the windshield. Without further hesitation, she darted over to my car and wheeled me into the hospital, making every attempt humanly possible to escort me up to Labor and Delivery on the 3rd floor. Unbeknownst to us all, the elevators were out of service. After her emergency page, my family and I were forced into the ER room, where she then noticed the crowning of my son’s head. She looked me in my eyes and advised me to bare down with everything in me, and guided me to push my baby smooth out. And that we did. In a record-breaking three pushes, my baby came out safe and sound. 

“Baby Z” was born at 4:07 pm Thursday, exactly nine months and a day after I’d lost my mom. Who knew that in place of my late mother, I would have this motherly figure here with me holding my hand and assisting with my delivery every single step of the way? This act of kindness will never be forgotten, nor should someone like Nurse Rosie ever be taken for granted. She is beyond a nurse; she is indeed a miracle worker! She could’ve easily turned a blind eye to us yet her intuitive awareness and human compassion speaks to who she is at her core!

Rosie was right there with me in place of my mother on one of the most important and memorable days of our lives. What made this magical experience even more beautiful was the same baby I had delivered just six years prior in this very building was now standing right beside me along with her father, now witnessing the birth of her baby brother and admiring in awe at all of the attention and care given to her mother and new sibling. 

My dearest Rosie, I am honored to have been in your company for just a short period of time but in this moment (as I shed tears typing) I truly appreciate you and all your hard work. You, my dear, embody the “Thrive” logo at its finest because it is a part of your character. You thrive naturally. I genuinely thank you from the bottom of my heart and as a fellow employee of Kaiser (SF) I would be honored to nominate you for the DAISY Award as it would be much well deserved. Words could never express my true gratitude to you and the entire staff of Labor and Delivery. Rosie, you are a special being, and may you continue a prosperous career, creating more memories and miracles every step of the way with every encounter you may experience. 

May you all continue to impact lives positively as well as keeping up the excellent work you all do since no good deed ever goes unnoticed! What a way to welcome life into this world with such amazing individuals!