Kelsey Velasco was my biggest advocate during my last minute choice from my doctor to induce labor at 38 weeks. The hospital was going through a huge merger, and everything was new, and systems weren’t all in place to work appropriately. If that wasn’t stressful for staff to work through, my labor experience threw an extra cherry on top of stress. Two epidurals that wouldn’t work and took a bit to finally get numb; meds to help my blood pressure, heart rate, nausea…therefore I felt everything up until almost the last second. Kelsey helped me as best as she could to work through that stress and pain and all the emotion and exhaustion through it all.

I knew it was time to check because I felt like it was time to meet my son but something felt off. Kelsey offered to get the doctor, but I asked her to check for me and she did without hesitation. She didn’t sugarcoat anything but reassured me that she would see to it that I was in great hands and got the doctor and explained my baby’s head wasn’t what she was feeling but maybe the cord or another bag that needed to be broken. The doctor confirmed after what he thought was a bag didn’t break what Kelsey also suggested, the baby had flipped positions at the last minute. I was told then what I didn’t want to hear, and it was I needed an emergency C section asap. I was a mess and Kelsey came to my side and grabbed my hands and reassured me I was in the best team’s care, and she’d be with me the whole way and knew it wasn’t what I planned on but it’s the best way to keep the baby and me safe. If she could have cried with me, I feel she would have but she was so strong and confident, and I needed that check.

Everything is a blur after that with how fast paced everyone moved to get everything ready and my son born safely. Kelsey was the first one with my husband at my side to make sure I was ok and had everything I needed in recovery. She even asked to be on my care team the entire next day to make sure I was ok and had everything I needed to get set up for at home and my recovery. Before she left for the evening, I made sure to thank her again and express my gratitude to her from myself and my husband, but words just aren’t even enough to thank her. She gave me the biggest hug and I know it was a pretty stressful event for her as well because it was not what anyone expected. Kelsey deserves the utmost recognition for her service, skill, knowledge, bedside manner, and ability to remain calm and professional through unexpected circumstances. Kelsey, I may never see you again, but know you were every part of my birth story of our son and we will never be able to thank you enough for everything you have done for us. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!