August 2026 Honoree
Kyla Donley, RN
I went to the hospital at 5:00 a.m. on a Wednesday to be induced for the birth of my first baby. As a first-time mom, I was incredibly anxious about giving birth. I had no idea what to expect, and one of my biggest fears was how I would be treated by the nurses caring for me.
I was initially cared for by two night-shift nurses who were very kind, but then I met Kyla, and she was different. From the moment she came in, she was positive, bubbly, and genuinely caring. I had the privilege of having her as my nurse for two days, and throughout every shift, she was always happy to get me whatever I needed.
One of my biggest fears was getting the epidural. Because my family could not be in the room with me, I was especially nervous about going through that experience without them. Kyla held my hands, talked to me through it, and kept me calm. Her presence made something I had been so afraid of feeling manageable. She was exactly the person I needed beside me.
On Wednesday night, the night-shift nurses came on, and my experience was not quite the same. I found myself counting down the hours until Kyla returned. When she came in for shift change on Thursday morning, she told me that she had thought about me throughout the night and had even wanted to work a 24-hour shift just so she could be with me. Hearing that meant so much to me. It showed me that the compassion she had shown me was genuine.
On Thursday morning, I began the pushing process, and Kyla was there cheering me on. It was incredibly comforting to have someone I had already built a connection with beside me during such a vulnerable and emotional moment.
Throughout both days, my baby's heart rate had occasionally been dropping on the monitor. Eventually, it began dropping with every contraction. During one push, there was green fluid, indicating that my baby had passed meconium in the womb. My doctor ultimately decided that a C-section was the safest option for my baby.
I was terrified. I remember crying and asking Kyla if she was going to be in the operating room with me. She told me she would be. She comforted me through one of the scariest moments of my life. I was crying, and she was crying with me. Her compassion made me feel less alone when I was at my most frightened and vulnerable.
It has now been two months since I gave birth, and I still think about Kyla often. She became such a special part of my birth experience. I will always remember her positivity, her kindness, and the way she made me feel safe when I was anxious and afraid.
Kyla was more than a nurse to me during those two days. She was a light during an incredibly overwhelming experience. She gave me comfort when I needed it most, advocated for me through a difficult and unexpected delivery, and made me feel cared for as a person, not just as a patient.
I am so grateful that Kyla was the nurse who happened to be there. She made a lasting impact on me and my first experience as a mother.
I was initially cared for by two night-shift nurses who were very kind, but then I met Kyla, and she was different. From the moment she came in, she was positive, bubbly, and genuinely caring. I had the privilege of having her as my nurse for two days, and throughout every shift, she was always happy to get me whatever I needed.
One of my biggest fears was getting the epidural. Because my family could not be in the room with me, I was especially nervous about going through that experience without them. Kyla held my hands, talked to me through it, and kept me calm. Her presence made something I had been so afraid of feeling manageable. She was exactly the person I needed beside me.
On Wednesday night, the night-shift nurses came on, and my experience was not quite the same. I found myself counting down the hours until Kyla returned. When she came in for shift change on Thursday morning, she told me that she had thought about me throughout the night and had even wanted to work a 24-hour shift just so she could be with me. Hearing that meant so much to me. It showed me that the compassion she had shown me was genuine.
On Thursday morning, I began the pushing process, and Kyla was there cheering me on. It was incredibly comforting to have someone I had already built a connection with beside me during such a vulnerable and emotional moment.
Throughout both days, my baby's heart rate had occasionally been dropping on the monitor. Eventually, it began dropping with every contraction. During one push, there was green fluid, indicating that my baby had passed meconium in the womb. My doctor ultimately decided that a C-section was the safest option for my baby.
I was terrified. I remember crying and asking Kyla if she was going to be in the operating room with me. She told me she would be. She comforted me through one of the scariest moments of my life. I was crying, and she was crying with me. Her compassion made me feel less alone when I was at my most frightened and vulnerable.
It has now been two months since I gave birth, and I still think about Kyla often. She became such a special part of my birth experience. I will always remember her positivity, her kindness, and the way she made me feel safe when I was anxious and afraid.
Kyla was more than a nurse to me during those two days. She was a light during an incredibly overwhelming experience. She gave me comfort when I needed it most, advocated for me through a difficult and unexpected delivery, and made me feel cared for as a person, not just as a patient.
I am so grateful that Kyla was the nurse who happened to be there. She made a lasting impact on me and my first experience as a mother.
Thank you, Kyla, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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