My husband and I arrived at the OB Emergency Room because I was experiencing contractions ranging from one to eight minutes apart.

Upon being placed in a triage room, we were warmly greeted by Claire Riffle, who promptly got me settled in and prepared for the midwife’s assessment. The midwife evaluated me and explained that I was not yet in what they considered active labor. She mentioned that many patients choose to wait out this stage at home, but reassured me that I wouldn’t be discharged until I felt comfortable. She did not anticipate that I would go into labor that day.

Claire, remaining hopeful, encouraged me to walk around to help progress my labor. I followed her advice, but soon became nauseated and vomited in the hallway. Claire immediately responded, cleaned me up with compassion and care, and then quickly had the midwife recheck me. Although there was still no change in dilation, Claire quietly noticed something wasn’t right. Despite not expressing any alarm outwardly, she remained calm, focused, and professional.

Trusting her instincts, Claire advocated for further evaluation and was able to get the on-call resident involved. The resident also sensed that something was off and escalated the situation to the attending physician. After further assessment, it was determined that a C-section was necessary, but things rapidly progressed into an emergency.

I was rushed to the operating room, where it was discovered that my uterus was in the early stages of rupture; the uterine wall had become dangerously thin. Thanks to Claire’s vigilance and swift actions, both my baby and I are alive and well today.

I was in extreme pain, but convinced it was normal. I nearly asked to be discharged before Claire’s quiet concern set everything in motion. Had I gone home, a one-hour drive, I likely wouldn’t have made it, and neither would my baby.

I wholeheartedly believe Claire saved our lives. Her attentiveness, kindness, and medical intuition were nothing short of extraordinary. She never let on that something was wrong, allowing me to stay calm, yet she never ignored her instincts.

Words cannot express the depth of my gratitude. I owe everything to her. She truly went above and beyond, and because of her, my family is whole.