In August, during our clinical rotation at Harris FW I had the opportunity to take a spin in Labor & Delivery. In my time there I met some really cool nurses, and some awesome new parents. I had the even more amazing opportunity to meet John & Amy. They were first time parents who were experiencing something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Their baby girl, Emma Lucille, had been diagnosed in utero with a rare skeletal dysplasia called Thanatophoric Dwarfism. This is something MOST people have never heard of. Certainly, it’s something neither I nor my clinical instructor were familiar with. Yeah, it’s that rare. Even the neo-natologists I spoke with in the NICU after Emma’s birth were saying how rare the condition is. They called in a genetic specialist to review her charts, they ran tests, and they prayed. Yes, the people in the NICU prayed over the precious little girl in their care. I think that’s what got to me the most : their compassion. To so many people what they do is just a JOB (Just Over Broke). Even some nurses don’t seem to realize their own full responsibility. But those particular NICU nurses and those specialists DID. And man do I respect them. And one day I hope to work alongside them, and call them friend, as well as colleague. Because they are the kind of medical professionals I want to be.
Well, it turns out that little Emma was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type 2 (aka “Brittle Bone Disease”). Type 2 is lethal within hours of birth. I prayed and prayed for Amy & for John. I’ve kept them right there, right in the forefront of my mind. I knew after Zoe’s birth that I wanted to be a NICU nurse. I questioned myself a little after Emma was born. Could I do this every single day? The answer? You bet your hiney I can…if I can’t, then who will?? Who will step up to the plate and care for God’s most helpless creatures? Those tiny babies NEED me, and more importantly : so do their parents. The parents DESERVE someone who cares deeply for their little baby. So yeah, I know full well I can do it…and I WILL do it. Someone asked me the other day if I thought I could “handle” it when the little ones in my care don’t make it. My response? Someone has to be there, and that someone NEEDS to be someone who will mourn their loss and comfort the parents. A NICU nurse NEEDS to be compassionate, caring, and emotionally connected to her/his patients! Without compassion and empathy, and even downright SYMPATHY you won’t make it far as a nurse ANYWHERE you choose to practice. I have a tender soft spot in my heart for sick little babies. I don’t know why, but it’s just the way GOD made me. And you know what? I wouldn’t ask Him to change it if I could!!
The coolest part of this story?? I had given Amy my email address before she left the hospital. Honestly? I didn’t think she’d ever use it, but I wanted to do something. I’ve never felt so incredibly helpless, and wondered so much what to do for someone or what to say to them to help them feel better, even though I KNEW there was nothing I could “say” or “do.” So, I gave her my email address. Knowing myself like I do, and knowing that I will ALWAYS remember Emma and her parents…and it gave me a sense of peace, just knowing that there was a way Amy could reach me if she wanted to. I didn’t really need anything more, but the last couple of weeks I’d really been hoping she’d contact me!
And do you know what? She did. A few days ago she sent me an email. I learned that they’d had a service for Emma on September 8 in South Texas. I learned so much more about them in that email, and in the subsequent emails I’ve received. I think God has placed this special family in my life as my extra motivation. God used a precious Angel to highlight my path even brighter for me…so I owe Emma and God a huge thank you. Thank you for being my guide. Thank you for lighting the way and showing me even more so what direction I should head in…I won’t let you down!
Sometimes we don’t always know WHY something is happening to us, or why things are hurting so badly. But sometimes out of that pain and confusion comes something really good. Something we can’t really see right now because maybe we’re too close to the situation. But in a distance we can…we can see what we need to see, and it makes things so much better. Hard and sad things happen, and that SUCKS. I won’t lie. It does. But when something good comes out of it the suckiness doesn’t go away, but it gets easier to handle. And the load gets a little lighter when someone is there to help shoulder the burden at times.
God Bless Amy, John, Emma, and their whole family. Nobody should ever have to go through what they went through, but the Grace and Love with which they are dealing is inspirational. Amy is a true role model for me. She is amazing, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to get to know her better.
This is the "Newberry Pile"
First Professional picture of Mommy and Daddy in roughly six years!!
This rocking chair was the source of great consternation....Zoe adored it
She enjoyed her birthday cake more than her brother did on his first birthday!! She's SO CUTE!!!! Her Birthday is Wednesday, in honor of that day I'll post more pics and a long post about her, too
