I received the most horrible news any mother could possibly hear. At 24 ½ weeks pregnant, I was told my baby’s heart had stopped beating. After talking with my doctor and my husband, we decided that a c-section the following morning would be best. Never in a million years did I think this would happen to me this late in my pregnancy. Would I get to see my baby? What would he look like? What would we name him? Do I take pictures? Panic raced through my mind.
The following morning I had the c-section, and I woke when my little boy was born. Another little boy.... my heart is broken. I fell back to sleep and woke up in a private recovery room with my husband by my side. At the foot of my bed a nurse sat in a chair holding a little bundle. Could it be my baby? The nurse walked over to me and gently handed me my sweet baby and left the room. My husband and I spent about a half hour with our son then the nurse came back in to check on us. She asked if it was ok to take him and do his foot prints, weight, height and pictures. Of course we said it was ok! When he was brought back to us, the nurse showed us the pictures she took and explained to us we had as much time as we needed. After about another half hour, my husband and I kissed our son and said our goodbyes. It has to be the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives. The nurse came to take the baby and she gave me a hug and said she was so sorry. Once he left us...... we cried. Once we got back to our room, the nurse brought us a beautiful box filled with all of his things.... the clothes he wore, his foot prints, blanket, pictures and a card signed by the OR and recovery nurses. I cherish these things because it is all I have left of him.
This wonderful nurse who took such great care of my baby was Mary Healy. To see her handle him with such care meant the world to me. She treated him so delicately and carefully. Mary went above and beyond her call of duty to help my husband and me through this very difficult process. We are thankful we had her to guide us through the whole thing. We had no idea what was going to happen and she just led the way. I remembered Mary from when I had my two older sons at Saint Clare’s. 11 and 9 years ago!! She was amazing then and that’s why I remembered her this time around. I nominate Mary Healy for the DAISY Award. She fits the exact description of what a DAISY nurse is.
I am forever grateful to Mary Healy for taking care of my sweet baby and for helping my husband and me through the most difficult day of our lives.