Crystal Overdeck
October 2015
Crystal
Overdeck
,
RN
NICU
Children's Hospital Colorado
Aurora
,
CO
United States
On December 17, 2014, my husband and I delivered our Daughter stillborn at 28 weeks gestation. We made multiple attempts to contact the organization Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep', to come and take much needed photographs of our beautiful baby girl but were not successful in reaching them. By the time we realized nobody was coming from NILMDTS, it was after 9pm and we started to panic as we realized that we may miss our window of opportunity to get these photos taken by anyone other than ourselves with our cellphones. As a Hail Mary', I called Crystal Overdeck, a mother of 3 children under 3 years of age. Crystal thankfully answered the phone from my unknown number as she stood on the other side of town in her local Target Store at 930pm. I worked with Crystal in Children's NICU several years ago and knew she was also an experienced photographer. With her experience with death and dying in the neonatal period along with her photographer skills, I hoped she might be able to help us get photos of our angel.
Through devastating tears, I explained our loss of our baby and asked if there was any way she could help us. She was in our hospital room within 45 minutes. She was gentle, kind and supportive yet so un-intrusive and professional. Crystal took the most beautiful photos of our baby girl and of our family together and refused any kind of payment for her time or for the editing of the photos. She took hours of her own time to edit the photos which soon became absolute works of art. We now have these works of art hanging in our home and I am so thankful for this precious gift from Crystal every time I am able to look at my beautiful but broken family. Her gift has helped heal our broken hearts and give us something tangible to hold onto in the face of our grieving and loss.
It is nurses like Crystal Overdeck who without question, put others needs before her own that make Children's Hospital the wonderful, supportive and loving place that it is. Please accept this nomination for Crystal Overdeck for delivering exceptional family centered care on her own time and at her own expense; for her positive and supportive attitude while working in such a sad and emotionally taxing situation; for her sense of community support; and most importantly, for exhibiting such caring and compassion in our time of need.
Through devastating tears, I explained our loss of our baby and asked if there was any way she could help us. She was in our hospital room within 45 minutes. She was gentle, kind and supportive yet so un-intrusive and professional. Crystal took the most beautiful photos of our baby girl and of our family together and refused any kind of payment for her time or for the editing of the photos. She took hours of her own time to edit the photos which soon became absolute works of art. We now have these works of art hanging in our home and I am so thankful for this precious gift from Crystal every time I am able to look at my beautiful but broken family. Her gift has helped heal our broken hearts and give us something tangible to hold onto in the face of our grieving and loss.
It is nurses like Crystal Overdeck who without question, put others needs before her own that make Children's Hospital the wonderful, supportive and loving place that it is. Please accept this nomination for Crystal Overdeck for delivering exceptional family centered care on her own time and at her own expense; for her positive and supportive attitude while working in such a sad and emotionally taxing situation; for her sense of community support; and most importantly, for exhibiting such caring and compassion in our time of need.