What started out as a headache 12 hours before I was scheduled to be induced to deliver my second child could have ended in tragedy, if not for Sarah, her watchful eye, her quick reactions, and her poise in the midst of an emergency. I went to the hospital out of an abundance of caution after developing a headache, since I’d already been diagnosed with gestational hypertension. I was admitted to the PETU and Sarah was assigned to my room. Everything looked normal at first as Sarah hooked me up to monitor the baby’s heartbeat. My husband and I drifted off to sleep while the machines continued to monitor the baby’s heartbeat and while my bloodwork was being processed.

At 3:30 am, about 2.5 hours after I was admitted, Sarah came into the room and told us that she had seen the baby’s heartbeat spontaneously and significantly decelerate for several minutes. She did everything she could to reposition me to see if we could raise the baby’s heartbeat, but it did not work. Almost like a tactical operator—recognizing the emergent nature of the situation—she immediately called a doctor into the room and the decision was made to do an emergency c-section. Sarah was prepping my abdominal area for surgery within seconds. She reassured me the whole time, holding my hand and telling me the heartbeat was still there, as I was wheeled on a gurney down the hall to be administered general anesthesia and undergo an emergency, level 1 c-section without my husband in the room. Even though I was almost fully unclothed and on all fours being wheeled down the hospital halls, marking some of the most frightening and vulnerable moments of my life, she made sure I didn’t feel alone and knew I was in capable hands.

Sarah was there when I woke up an hour later. I was told the baby was a boy, and he was fine! But, I was not feeling well after the procedure. Sarah responded to every concern. I was shivering, and my body temperature dipped. Sarah wrapped me in a “bear hug” blanket. I was experiencing immense pain at the incision site. Sarah waited with me for the pharmacy to send up pain medications, advocating for me to get them as soon as possible when the pharmacy was backed up. It took 1.5 hours for the pain pump to be sent up; Sarah ensured I got individual doses of pain medication to hold me over while she waited with me. Sarah assisted the doctor during two hemorrhage episodes, comforting me at my bedside, explaining the next steps, and ensuring that there were measures to address this level of hemorrhaging. Sarah’s shift ended later that morning. She transitioned me to my next nurse, making sure I knew I would continue to be well cared for as the day went on.

A few days later, as I was still in the hospital recovering from a bout of severe postpartum preeclampsia, Sarah came to my room before her shift started. This was the next shift she had scheduled; even after having been off for a few days, she made sure my room was one of her first stops after returning to work. She came with a lovely card, with a heartfelt and sincere note, and a sweet stuffed animal for our new baby boy. It was such a kind gesture. I will treasure these gifts for years to come and always look back on this experience as one that Sarah helped usher me through. Not only did Sarah help make sure that my baby boy and I survived this experience, but she also played a role in making meaning out of this very unexpected and turbulent delivery.