There are moments in a nursing career that stick with you. It reminds you why you do what you do. It becomes a part of you. A MountainView NICU nurse had one of these moments, caring for a baby until it passed away in her arms.  This was a promise that she made to the parents as she walked them out. The devastated parents said they were unable to watch their baby take their last breath. This nurse knows that everyone handles grief in their own unique way, but also knew that in this moment, she would never want anybody to pass alone. “While not common, unfortunately, a baby passing is still a reality within the NICU, and the team is always ready to support our families to the fullest extent, no matter the circumstances,” this nurse said. 

This awesome individual has wanted to be a nurse since she was a young person. She watched her grandfather, sick with cancer, in a hospital bed while her grandmother cared for him, never leaving his side. Until one day, because of a particular nurse’s caring actions, grandma felt that she could trust this nurse enough that it’ll be okay to leave him in her care. From that moment, she knew she wanted to be that person for someone someday; that a patient’s loved one knows they can leave because she will be by their family member’s side with true love and compassion.  This awesome nurse, who has been a NICU for quite some time now.  She, with the help of the NICU team, fulfilled these parents’ last wishes for their baby.  The baby was blessed with the whole unit’s presence. As the baby was placed on comfort care, this nurse and her colleagues ensured that the baby would pass surrounded by love. Nurses held, prayed, and even sang for the baby. Even after this nurse’s shift had already ended, she stayed to complete the families’ wishes.  This baby was surrounded by pure love until the end. 

Afterwards, this nurse put on her educator hat and walked colleagues through our bereavement process in NICU to reassure them that her team is aware of this procedure… and that it is ok to cry sometimes.  She said, “A lot of times they say don’t cry about your patients and be strong; I will never tell you not to cry. It’s why we do what we do,” trailing off in thought. She put together a bereavement box that included the baby’s hand & footprints and the baby’s hand and foot in a clay mold, a teddy bear with the baby’s wrist bands, and a photo album of pictures that she took. She says, “I hope someday, it will bring them comfort.  Maybe not today, but someday they will look in the box and know that their baby is their family’s angel who passed surrounded by love as promised.”   She added, in reflection of the experience, “I will always hold this with me, that I was there when they couldn’t be. And this is why I became a nurse.”