We need to take a moment to share the impact that Tabetha Buzbee made on a HEAL (Help Endure A Loss) patient. In October, we had a patient come to Atrium Medical Center's Emergency Trauma Center from out of town. She was traveling from California and came to Middletown to see a friend. She was 10 weeks pregnant and had started bleeding. She came to the AMC ETC as soon as she got into town due to the bleeding. It was ultimately determined that she was having a miscarriage.
Her version of events is that she went to ultrasound, and when she came back to her room, there was a purple HEAL miscarriage bag waiting for her. She was so impressed that her miscarriage was being recognized and that Atrium had a program to support bereaved parents. Unbeknownst to the staff, this patient had an infant son who had died in 2011 at only a couple of months of age due to a genetic brain disorder.
This patient has done several fundraisers in California to support her healing process and raise awareness to infant loss and is now supporting the HEAL Program through donation, contributions to the HEAL garden, and by bringing awareness to perinatal and infant loss. It is absolutely amazing what the presence of that purple bag can do.
Tabetha has made a huge difference in the lives of our patients. Sharing this patient's experience is so important to the HEAL Program on so many different levels. Last year, when information was presented for ER competencies, Tabetha was very upfront about saying patients who are experiencing a loss are not her forte and this was not within her comfort zone. She certainly turned that around! Everyone should know what a little caring, compassion and that purple HEAL bag can do to make a difference in our patient's lives.