I have been meaning to do this for the last year. I was 19 weeks pregnant with my third child and went in for my anatomy ultrasound. I found out that the baby boy I had been carrying had died. This was tragic for our family - this was the second miscarriage. I was in my last semester of my NP master's, just weeks before graduating, with still 100 hours of clinicals to go, and we had sacrificed a lot trying to get that baby there, so it felt extra painful. The next day, after my D&C, I woke up in the PACU to Marjorie holding my hand, asking how I was doing and if I wanted my husband to come back and sit with me. I had lost a lot of blood during the surgery and could hardly move my limbs; my blood pressure started tanking- she and many others were quick to respond, bolusing me with NS and albumin and staying calm. They decided to give me a blood transfusion and started it right when my husband needed to get my 2 and 3-year-olds from daycare. This was my first transfusion and felt SO scary for me. Marjorie kept coming to talk with me during those hours of transfusion to help me stay calm and take my mind off my discomfort, fear, and loss. She also advocated for me to be admitted when they were trying to decide if they should send me home or admit me, since I was still very symptomatic and could hardly move my body. I ended up needing another transfusion that evening and needed to stay the next day for observation.

I was so touched by how Marjorie cared for me. The whole situation was so emotionally and physically painful, and her kindness and warmth made me feel seen. She recognized my grief and acknowledged the sorrow I was feeling. And she was so quick to respond to my physical needs in that moment as well. I just want her to know how much her service that day touched me. As nurses, we spend shift after shift caring for patients who don’t feel well, and who typically are suffering in some way or another and may not realize the impact we have on their lives. She impacted mine, and I have thought of her again and again this year, especially as I delivered a healthy baby boy, almost exactly a year after miscarrying that baby boy last year. I hope she realizes the goodness she brings into patients’ lives!