At 34 weeks pregnant, I got diagnosed with gestational hypertension at my OB’s office and was told I would need to be induced at 37 weeks. I was terrified, to say the least, and my wife and I quickly had to pivot our thoughts and feelings from having a spontaneous labor at 39/40 weeks to having a medically necessary induction. We were scared of having an “early term” baby, especially in light of the last 18 months of our life. Our daughter E was 10 years old and medically fragile with multiple neurological conditions that caused seizures, cerebral palsy, and where she didn’t walk or talk. She passed away on hospice in June 2023. The thought of having to deliver a baby earlier than 40 weeks, the thought of having complications, the thought of what if something goes wrong crossed our mind for the weeks leading up to the induction.

On day 3 of a brutally long and slow induction, enter night nurse Desi. A spunky young nurse who came on shift. Immediately, Desi came into the room and said, “I read your birth plan, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make this a beautiful, special, and redemptive birth.” And she did just that. During her shift, while I was in early labor, she advocated for me to the midwife, immediately came to my assistance when I was in excruciating pain, comforted my wife when labor stalled, and anytime she came in the room, she had a smile and positive attitude.

Desi made me feel safe and secure and cared for amidst the unknowns and ever-changing stages of labor. Desi listened to me, I mean really really listened to me and took that information to the medical staff to help improve my care. She encouraged me with her words and actions and made me believe that I could (and would) get through the labor stages and welcome a healthy child safely into the world. Desi came back the following night, and I was nearing the last stage of labor, and pushing was on the horizon. When my epidural stopped working, she called anesthesia and had them get to my room STAT. Desi physically turned my body every 30 minutes to get my baby to descend. Desi brought ice chips and made sure my wife had snacks. When it was time to start pushing, I couldn’t have been more grateful that she was the nurse that was in the room. I wouldn’t have made it through delivery without her. She held my legs, counted my pushes, and looked me in the eyes and told me I could do it. This kind of compassion and dedication to patients is so rare in healthcare these days.

Immediately after delivery, when I started hemorrhaging, Desi stood by my side and administered meds as well as updated my wife on what was happening. It was a terrifying time, but I knew I couldn’t be in better hands than Desi. She was calm, supportive, and immediately jumped into action to help stabilize me. I would have been a lot more scared while hemorrhaging had Desi not been by my side. She stands out above all other nurses, and I hope you would honor this young, empathetic, hardworking nurse with a DAISY Award.