I am honored and privileged to nominate Debbie Dandino-O’Neill, RN, of Little Company of Mary’s Labor and Delivery Unit for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Debbie came into my life when I was scheduled to deliver my fourth child. This was not like any of my other deliveries, however, because my baby had already been diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality called Trisomy 13. Because of this diagnosis, it was unlikely that my baby would come home from the hospital, due to her extensive congenital defects.
My husband and I chose to deliver our baby at LCMH, because our wish was to be surrounded by doctors, nurses and staff who would offer respect, patience and love during this extremely difficult time. Debbie fulfilled that wish on so many levels. When we arrived at the hospital Debbie was there to greet us with a smile. She reassured us that the birth plan we had written, which she had studied, would be respected not only by her, but by the other nurses and all the staff. She lifted my spirits throughout her 12-hour shift with wonderful stories, undivided medical attention during my progressing labor and, always, with her contagious smile. Debbie also cried with me and expressed that my delivery would be the most meaningful of any she had experienced during her career. She had even taken the time to do some research on Trisomy 13 prior to my arrival at the hospital, so she could be prepared for all possible outcomes. I was overwhelmed by her compassion and empathy.
When Debbie’s shift was coming to an end, and I had not yet delivered my baby, I was worried, as she had become my partner along this journey. As it turned out, Debbie felt the same…so she offered to stay past her shift and remain with me as a guest. I was thrilled! When the time came for my baby to arrive, I will never forget Debbie saying, “OK, let’s meet her!” as she held my hand. With nothing but the sound of a lullaby CD (Which Debbie reminded my husband to turn on!), our sweet baby girl, Elizabeth Marie, came into the world. Elizabeth was born living, so we jumped into action, having her baptized and taking photos. Thanks to Debbie, who, unbeknownst to us, had grabbed our camera and started snapping pictures, we have priceless photos of Elizabeth’s first moments after birth, from her baptism, as well as from her time being held by our other children and family members. Debbie ended up staying five hours past her shift. I could not have imagined those hours without her!
Debbie’s shift may have ended, but her dedication to us did not. We were blessed to have our Elizabeth for four precious weeks, two of which we spent at LCMH. Debbie came to visit us every day of our stay. During that time, she rocked and talked to Elizabeth, provided us with amazing emotional support and exhibited the most heartfelt love for our baby and our family. Our Elizabeth went to heaven and shortly afterwards, we had a memorial service in her memory…and Debbie was there. We were so humbled by her continuing outpouring of support. She was not only our nurse…she had become our friend.
There are no words to express my gratitude for the amazing care I received by everyone at LCMH, especially by Debbie during the most difficult time in my life. She is blessed with the gift of caring for others, both as a nurse and as a genuinely kind, compassionate person.