My pre-op nurse showed me extraordinary compassion during one of the hardest moments of my life. I came in for a D&C after experiencing a pregnancy loss. Emotionally and physically, I was completely broken. My nurse was kind, attentive, and brought light into a very dark place. While caring for me, she and another nurse were joking about pie.

At one point, she looked at me and said, you deserve pie. I’m going to bring you some when you get out. Pie makes everyone feel better. She had no way of knowing that weeks earlier, I had a dream during my pregnancy that, in my grief, pie was the only thing that brought comfort. Because I became nauseous after surgery, she couldn’t bring me pie, but she made sure to write a note with my discharge instructions that my husband was to buy me two double-fudge pies.

That small but intentional act made me feel seen, cared for, and comforted in a way that I will never forget. In a moment filled with loss, she gave me warmth, dignity, and unexpected peace. I will forever be grateful for her compassion and the way she cared for me when I needed it most.