Our daughter J and son O were patients in NICU. This is extremely hard for me to write, but I feel compelled to honor Kim in the way she honored our daughter before our daughter's passing. We were admitted to St. Joseph hospital to have our twins. We knew from about week 13 of our pregnancy, there was something not developing right with our little Baby B. Through the pregnancy we learned she either had severe microcephaly or anencephaly, both words I had no idea what they meant, but would quickly learn about. At the beginning of week 33 we found out from our fetal MRI, our baby girl had anencephaly, a condition that is not compatible with life. At 33 weeks and 6 days we were admitted to the hospital for premature rupture of membranes, the next week was a whirlwind of emotions, knowing the outcome of our daughter's life and also being able to celebrate our son's life are some of the hardest emotions to process. After the twins were born, both were admitted to NICU, we could come and go as we wanted and needed.
The staff was so accommodating to us and the grandparents of O and J and this made it much easier on all of us as a family knowing what we were facing. When we left at night, we always knew the twins were in good hands. But there was one nurse, Kim, everybody needs a Kim to take care of a dying loved one. Kim made signs for the twin's cribs, but there was one morning I walked into NICU and there was the picture that would mean more to us than we would ever know. While we were resting during the night, Kim had got a backdrop and took pictures of the twins together. This is something I hadn't even thought of doing. Kim didn't have to take those pictures and she for sure didn't have to laminate them and hang them on J's crib. But she did! You cannot see the tears rolling out of my eyes as I type this, so please know this isn't easy to write. But, Kim sure did make our stay in NICU, knowing the outcome, much easier to bear. Kim was a listening ear when we needed one and she was the strength I needed when I was mad at the world for what was going on. She was the rock of a nurse that I needed, and I am a nurse myself.
The night J passed, Kim was assigned to other babies that night, but I never would have known it because she helped us take more pictures of the twins together. She was a sense of peace for me. This is just a small token I can give to Kim as my appreciation to her for helping us get through the hardest and most joyous time I have ever had in my life! To Kim, thank you! We love you, and you will forever be a close memory when we think about our daughter J.