I was already nervous going into my induction, as my last two were a roller coaster of emotions and complications. I was taken to my room, and Ashley was on shift rotation and came in at the start of my induction. Within 10 minutes of my first dose of medication, multiple people were in my room, as there were some early complications.

Ashley stayed by my side her entire 12-hour shift, which was also the duration of my labor, and only left me to have quite possibly the quickest lunch break I’ve ever seen. I was scared, exhausted, in pain, and things were happening very fast. She was patient, caring, and didn’t leave my side the entire night, constantly checking the monitor to make sure my baby wasn’t in distress and I wouldn’t need an emergency C-section.

After 12 hours of ups and downs, my son finally arrived. I’ve had five children with the same hospital, and Ashley’s dedication, compassion, and calm demeanor have stuck with me, and I think of her often. She made sure I was as comfortable as she could, and although I knew things were on the borderline of being dangerous, she never showed me and made sure I was as calm as possible. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her during my labor. She is truly the definition of what every nurse should strive to be.