When I showed up at the hospital to deliver my son, I was all alone while I waited for my husband to drive home from El Paso, where he was for work. My labor was quick, and my husband wasn’t able to make it in time. The nurses helped FaceTime my husband during the final parts of my labor, but Lyle was completely focused on me and what I needed.

Every time something needed to change, he would ask instead of tell me. He allowed me to make the decisions that were best for my family and me when I didn’t have the person I had planned on being there to help me navigate birth. He offered to hold my hand while I pushed and encouraged me through the whole process. Once my baby was born, he stayed with me until my husband arrived, even though he didn’t have to, so I wouldn’t be alone.

His empathy and kindness turned a situation that could have been really hard for me, not having my husband there at the birth, and turned it into a beautiful moment where the kindness of a stranger changed everything. This was my third child and will forever be one of my favorite birth stories because of Lyle. Not only is he a great nurse, but his compassion sets him apart, and I am so thankful he was with me that day.