My wife and I were visiting family in Las Vegas from out of state. We only planned to be in Vegas for two or three days before returning to Long Beach. However, our daughter had her own plans... and those plans included meeting her parents at just 28 weeks gestational age.
J woke me up on Sunday morning in severe pain. After some frantic research, we decided Sunrise Children's Hospital, though not the nearest, offered the highest level of care in the city. After a medically delayed labor, our daughter joined the world via emergency C-section. I was scared for the safety of my wife and child. My wife had a major unplanned surgery. My daughter was purple, had narrowly avoided intubation, and was on her way to the NICU. My wife and I oscillated between a breath of emotions as we made our way to visit 'I' in the NICU. Once we made it into the NICU, we were able to find solace through the professional, compassionate, and skilled medical staff.
Within the first week, we met our eventual primary nurse, Bailee. We feel Bailee provided our daughter with world-class medical care. She was able to explain each of the many interventions being implemented to support and protect 'I'. Bailee guided us along the path to discharge.
In addition to being an excellent nurse and advocate for our daughter, Bailee was also a pillar of emotional support. Bailee used her own time and money to weave 'I' beanies and a blanket. Bailee was also our nurse the first time we were able to hold 'I'. Before that, my wife had literally never held any child. For J, holding 'I' was both a very exciting and very anxious time. Bailee was direct, helpful, supportive, and preternaturally patient in guiding us in safely holding our daughter for the first time. She even took the initiative to capture some candid photos of our family's big moment for the scrapbook. As J and I look ahead to I's imminent discharge, we are filled with joy; to be able to bring her home. We are excited to cautiously introduce 'I' to our dogs. We are likely to cry when we put 'I' in her crib for the first time. But we are simultaneously, silently, dreading the moment we say goodbye to Bailee. She kept our daughter healthy and safe. Kept J and me sane through the most difficult period of our lives, and she helped teach us how to be good parents to our daughter. We will miss her, and she is a credit to your Institution.