Our first son was born on March 21st. After only two hours with him, he was rushed to the NICU at Rex Hospital. They diagnosed him with Esophageal atresia, and he was immediately transported to UNC Children's in Chapel Hill. Reena was the nurse who got our sweet boy settled in and helped calm the nerves of my husband, who followed our son there because I was still admitted at the other hospital. She helped set up the camera immediately so I would be able to see our baby while I was away.

We were lucky to have Reena as his nurse the day of his surgery. She walked with us down and back up and shared positive thoughts and conversation to ease our minds. After surgery, she made him comfortable and made sure every tube was marked and everything was in place for his recovery. She taught us different ways to care for him and comfort him, even though we could not hold him due to the different tubes placed in surgery. We were able to love on our boy because of her. The big day of his MRI scan came to see if the surgery was a success with no leaks in his esophagus, and she invited me to come and watch. She made sure he was comfy for his MRI and then stood with me. Both of us stared at the screen as the contrast went all the way to his stomach. It was successful! She was just as excited and relieved as I was.

As hard as it was to leave our boy there every day, it made it easier to know nurses like Reena were watching over him. As much as she cared for him, she always ensured we parents were eating, drinking, and taking care of ourselves, too. This experience was a hard one, but we could not have made it through without her every step of the way.