Dawn Arseneau
June 2021
Dawn
Arseneau
,
RN
Labor and Delivery
Boston Medical Center
Boston
,
MA
United States
I think Dawn was just trying to distract me from the grim reality of my situation, but she unwittingly shaped my mindset for the entire summer.
I was pregnant with my first child, excited and looking forward to a summer of baby bumps, spending time with family, and nesting to prepare for our long-awaited baby boy. I was 23 weeks pregnant when my water suddenly broke. Conversations quickly turned from “what color should we paint the nursery” to “will our baby make it through the night?” and “if he does survive, what kind of significant medical issues will we face?” That first night following my Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPRoM), was the scariest night of my life. Dawn came into my room in the morning, introduced herself, and told me about a podcast she listened to on her way to work about the power of positivity. I think she was just trying to distract me from the grim reality of my situation, but she unwittingly shaped my mindset for the entire summer. I had countless amazing nurses and doctors for what turned out to be a 10-week hospital admission, but Dawn will always hold a special place in my heart. She encouraged me, laughed with me, cried with me. She snuck into my room in between delivering babies on a hectic, 12-hour shift just to check on me and bring me snacks. I will never be able to explain the feeling of helplessness that I felt that entire summer; but having people like Dawn motivate me really helped me to focus on the end goal: holding on to my baby as long as possible to give him the best chance of success in this world. The morning my son decided that he was ready, of course, Dawn was my labor & delivery nurse. It felt fitting to have her there at every step of my journey, and I will forever be honored and humbled that she was (and still is) a part of our lives. After a lengthy NICU journey, our baby is now a healthy, happy toddler who loves to play outside, chase the kitty, give the biggest hugs, dance to annoying kids' songs, and snuggle before bedtime. When I first met Dawn, I never imagined any of those things happening and now I am blessed beyond measure that it is my everyday reality.