Stephanie Hanchak
July 2025
Stephanie
Hanchak
,
RN
9E Labor and Delivery
University of Michigan Health
Ann Arbor
,
MI
United States
The softness of her voice, the grasping of my hand, along with a promise kept, is how she has forever impacted our lives.
Everyone has an expectation of what they would like their delivery to look like. Unfortunately for us, this was not the case. As we went into labor and delivery for our second child, we had hoped to labor and deliver naturally. We were introduced to Stephanie our first night, and she was a God-send! My labor included many challenges which included three epidurals, which did not work, and intense labor pains. Stephanie was there at my bedside the whole time, giving me encouragement and providing a nurturing environment.
Despite trying to have my second baby naturally, I started to bleed and was immediately rushed to the OR. I was scared, nervous, and in tears! I felt so alone in the Operating Room as the staff rushed to try and get me under general anesthesia. It was in that moment that I felt a grasp on my hand. When I looked over, I saw that Stephanie was the one holding my hand, telling me not to be afraid and that she would be there the whole time. Tears streamed down my face as she was my comforting source in that moment, as I didn’t get to see my husband before going under anesthesia and didn’t know if my baby was going to be ok.
The last thing I remember before going under was her gentle touch, her comforting eyes, and kind words. I can’t explain the calmness that she helped me feel before I fell asleep. After surgery, Stephanie herself took our son from the OR to meet his father for the first time. Stephanie also stayed over an additional two hours after her scheduled shift just to make sure that we were ok. She kept her promise to me and stayed with me the whole time!
Words cannot put into detail how much this meant to both me and my husband. It’s moments like this that you remember the impact that a person can have on one’s life. The softness of her voice, the grasping of my hand, along with a promise kept, is how she has forever impacted our lives. She made a terrible experience something that was somehow comforting and beautiful. I will forever be indebted to Stephanie, who went above and beyond the call of duty that day. She may say she “was just doing her job,” but her impact will forever be embedded in our memories. I will tell my son exactly who made his entrance into the world, one that we will never forget! Thank you, Stephanie.
Despite trying to have my second baby naturally, I started to bleed and was immediately rushed to the OR. I was scared, nervous, and in tears! I felt so alone in the Operating Room as the staff rushed to try and get me under general anesthesia. It was in that moment that I felt a grasp on my hand. When I looked over, I saw that Stephanie was the one holding my hand, telling me not to be afraid and that she would be there the whole time. Tears streamed down my face as she was my comforting source in that moment, as I didn’t get to see my husband before going under anesthesia and didn’t know if my baby was going to be ok.
The last thing I remember before going under was her gentle touch, her comforting eyes, and kind words. I can’t explain the calmness that she helped me feel before I fell asleep. After surgery, Stephanie herself took our son from the OR to meet his father for the first time. Stephanie also stayed over an additional two hours after her scheduled shift just to make sure that we were ok. She kept her promise to me and stayed with me the whole time!
Words cannot put into detail how much this meant to both me and my husband. It’s moments like this that you remember the impact that a person can have on one’s life. The softness of her voice, the grasping of my hand, along with a promise kept, is how she has forever impacted our lives. She made a terrible experience something that was somehow comforting and beautiful. I will forever be indebted to Stephanie, who went above and beyond the call of duty that day. She may say she “was just doing her job,” but her impact will forever be embedded in our memories. I will tell my son exactly who made his entrance into the world, one that we will never forget! Thank you, Stephanie.