I was originally admitted to Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s on 9/7/2025 at 22 weeks pregnant — I was bleeding and my baby’s amnion was bulging through my cervix. That first night, Mikala made me feel safe and cared for despite my being frightened that I’d lose my baby. She had time off for the next few days. During that time, my amnion broke and I’ll be in the hospital until I give birth (we have no clue when this will finally happen).

When she returned on 9/13, she brought me a care package with some nice personal care items and a coloring book — she hoped (for me and my baby’s sake) I’d be here for a long time. While feeling trapped in the hospital feels awful, being around supportive nurses like Mikala has made this past week not feel as scary and given me hope that my unborn daughter will stay inside me longer (to increase her chances of survivability). Mikala deserves to be recognized for her ability to be calming and caring even in the most frightening of situations.