Brielle Barnes
August 2024
Brielle
Barnes
,
RN
Neonatal and Paediatric ICU
Royal Hobart Hospital
Hobart
,
Tasmania
Australia

 

 

 

I am currently in the hospital with my newborn. We have been here since birth, going on 3 weeks. We were told at birth that he had Down Syndrome. We had no idea before this. The first few days were rough. Not only was Brielle amazing and gentle caring for him but she also was very thoughtful about our mental health too. She reassured us and explained stuff where needed. When I got upset, she made sure to get me help from doctors and a social worker. She made sure that I was okay.

She celebrates every progress he makes and even if she is not assigned to his care she will come over and check on him and be excited by the progress she notices, such as when we took him for his first pram ride and when he came out of the humidicrib. She gets so excited by all the little achievements he's making, and it just feels like she is on our team cheering him on. She always greets me "Hey beautiful Mumma" and always makes sure I'm "taking care of myself too.”

She has become such a reassuring familiar face for all of us and I'm so thankful to have someone like her working with our baby. It makes me feel better when I have to leave the hospital. She remembers our names and those of our other children and asks about them, too. I just feel like she really cares for our whole family and I'm so grateful for her.