After Birthing A Stillborn Baby, A Nurse's Shocking Remark Is Etched In This Mom's Mind Forever

Nov 21, 2018

Rachel Whalen has suffered through one of the most painful ordeals any mother will ever have to deal with. Her precious, long-anticipated first baby was born stillborn. As Rachel fought for her own life throughout the delivery process, it was the nurses attending to her that brought her back from the brink of hopelessness and death.

Rachel wants us to know how much the nurses at the hospital helped her deal with the ordeal of losing her baby girl, Dorothy. She wants us to know how each of the nurses contributed in their own special way leading her back to recovery. She firmly believes that she would not have survived without the compassion of those nurses.

With her family doing everything they could to comfort Rachel, the nurses are the ones that filled in the gaps. All those lonely hours grieving in the hospital after the birth were filled with the compassionate outpouring of love and support from so many different nurses. It was if they knew what Rachel needed.

Rachel decided to post a tribute to all of the nurses on the Facebook page, An Unexpected Family Outing. She wanted to publicly acknowledge just how much each and every one of those little efforts of condolence meant to her. Read on to hear about some of the things the nurses did for Rachel in her time of need that started her on her road to recovery.

She starts her post by thanking all of the nurses for saving her with their skills and knowledge. But, most importantly, she wants to bring attention to all the compassion that they showed throughout her ordeal. Rachel claims that the nurses brought her back to life in ways that she could have never imagined.

Rachel also thanked the nurses that took care of her husband throughout their loss. They knew that it wasn't just Rachel that was suffering and did everything possible to make sure her husband's needs were taken care of as well. They made sure he had fresh pillows while he slept beside Rachel and even hid pop-sickles for him.

While Rachel knows that the doctors performed their magic to keep her alive, she wants us to know that it was the nurses who brought her back from the brink of death and made her want to live again.

She remembers the nurse who stayed with her when she was rushed into intensive care after the delivery. That nurse took charge and communicated everything needed to the doctors making it possible for Rachel to live and be able to see her precious daughter's lifeless body.

Rachel also wants to thank the nurse that gave her the tip of using ice packs to suppress her milk production after the delivery. That particular nurse also held Rachel tenderly and wept with her as if she was feeling her pain. Her compassion was very inspiring and comforting for Rachel.

She thanked the nurse who cleaned her up in the ICU after the birth of her stillborn daughter. This thoughtful nurse even took the time to lovingly smooth Rachel's hair into a ponytail. Rachel remember the softness of the nurses caress on her hair and it just seemed to make things a little bit better.

Rachel especially remembers the nurse who acknowledged her stillborn child as a real person. This nurse knew how important it was for Rachel to feel like her baby was a real person. She leaned in and asked Rachel, "Do you want to tell me about her?" Rachel remembers feeling an immediate bond with the nurse.

That same nurse was the one who helped Rachel get her baby dressed for her only picture. She made sure her little dress was perfect, not covering her eyes, and her sweet, tiny hands were crossed just right.

Rachel also wants to thank all the nurses for knowing their names before speaking with them. It really made them feel like a family and further affirmed that sweet, little Dorothy did really exist, if only for a brief time.

She even remembers a nurse slipping into her room as she was sleeping just after losing her baby. This nurse softly told Rachel her own story about losing her baby. She gave Rachel her first glimpse of any hope for recovery. Rachel honestly isn't sure if this was a dream or a real nurse, but she thinks it really was a real nurse lovingly starting her on her path to recovery.

Rachel lastly thanks the same nurses who helped her through her pregnancy with her next baby, Frances. They acknowledged Rachel's gift of a first child and were eagerly welcoming her new baby into their family of four. She closed her letter with, "Gratefully, The One You Brought Back."

The only way to help someone deal with the pain of a loss is to experience the pain with them step-by-step. All the hugs in the world, while they are comforting and appreciated, will never take the pain away. "I'm sorry" means a lot, but it is being there and understanding that really matters.

That's what these nurses did! They each did their special part to ease Rachel's pain. She really feels like they saved her life when she didn't have the willpower to go on.

We are so glad that Rachel took the time to write her post and thank this group of special nurses. It's always wonderful to hear about the positive side of human nature and what we are really capable of when we are put in tough situations.

How about you? Do you have any people that you know that have gone above-and-beyond their call of duty to help you out when you really needed it? Let us know in the comments and send this article to your friends and family to inspire them today.