Diana Kimbal
September 2018
Diana
Kimbal
,
BSN, RNC-NIC
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
Fairfax
,
VA
United States

 

 

 

Diana took care of my daughter in the NICU, it was my daughter's second night there. As a second time parent, but first time NICU mom I was awed by the care Diana showed my daughter and then spread to my husband and myself. She explained things in ways we could clearly understand and helped us to really feel like parents, which is hard to do being on a different wing recovering. On the day of my discharge, it was very hard for me to think that my daughter wasn't coming home right away. Diana came in on her day off and brought me soup that we had been talking about the night before. She insisted that I eat and take care of myself, which I haven't been doing a great a job at. I was so touched by her thoughtfulness and her clear insistence that it is the wellness of the family as a whole that will help my daughter in the end.
***
There is actually a little more to this story that needs to be told that shows how Diana went above and beyond. After working the night shift, Diana went home that morning and made a special Korean soup that is traditional for postpartum women to eat. It is usually made by a new mother's own mother. Diana returned later that morning to the hospital to give the soup to this mother. Sadly, this NICU mom had just lost her adoptive mother two weeks prior to giving birth so would not have had this special meal prepared for her if it were not for Diana. Her thoughtfulness and caring impacted this family in so many ways.
This truly was a special act that showed compassion, kindness, and cultural awareness derived from her own life experiences. The support Diana offered to this mother and her family is commendable and displays the great value that a diverse workforce provides to our community.