When you think of Labor and Delivery, you think of happiness and joy. Unfortunately, for a few of us, this is not the case. My first admission was the beginning of an emotionally difficult road. I met Aslyn during this admission when I was diagnosed with PPROM. As a nurse myself, I know the importance of specialized nursing care.  For most, nursing is all about medical procedures and techniques, but the most important part of nursing is kindness. During such a difficult time, Aslyn was there to help in any way she could, from making sure my husband had a blanket so he could get some sleep to spending a few hours talking about Disney and taking my mind off the uncertainty of the situation. I left the hospital with the unknown ahead of us, but felt the impact Aslyn had made for me.

Unfortunately, Aslyn and I met again under even more grim circumstances when I arrived for induction after a fetal demise. Aslyn was able to comfort my family and me during the worst day of our lives. She was there as my nurse, but it also felt like she was there as a friend as well. She was there for me no matter what the need was. Aslyn wiped my tears away, encouraged me that I could make it through this delivery, advocated for my pain management, and was there to just talk to me as my world was falling apart. From a clinical standpoint, she did her job exceptionally well, but she excelled at the compassion and kindness she showed my family and me, asking frequently what she could do for us. Aslyn was attentive to all of our needs, even the minuscule needs of keeping my drink full. She went above and beyond in every way possible, even after her long night shift was over. After learning the photographer was unavailable to come and take pictures of our sweet girl, she went to Walmart on her own time and money to purchase SD cards just so we could capture some precious photos for us to cherish of our little angel. Looking back now, what was a horrible experience and a painful memory was made bearable by an amazing and caring nurse. Words cannot articulate how incredibly thankful I am that Aslyn was my nurse and was able to help my family and me through such a horrible time. I will forever appreciate that I was her patient, along with the knowledge that she found her calling and will be able to help many more patients in her future.