Hannah & Aaron's Story
After a two-month stay in Mercy's NICU, the Brewers were especially grateful to be home with their premie by Thanksgiving!
"I had always heard very positive things from my friends who have recently had babies about their experiences at Mercy," said new mom Hannah. "After we toured the unit, it really was a no-brainer for us. We felt so welcomed and were very impressed with the accommodations. Once we learned that the NICU would be in the room with us, we knew without any doubt Mercy would be the right place for us. I was diagnosed as a high-risk pregnancy, so we were aware that Maribel would have to be born at no later than 34 weeks gestation. Knowing we could stay in the hospital with her if she needed that extra care was super important to us. It felt like the ideal situation. And it truly was.
"I arrived at Mercy at 29 weeks and 6 days gestation, having experienced some bleeding. From the moment I was admitted, the staff was attentive, calming, and so compassionate with me... Dr. Ravisankar spent over an hour with my husband and me that day explaining what would happen when delivery happened, whether it was that day or in a few weeks as originally thought. He was so patient with us and answered every question thoughtfully and thoroughly.
"Later that day, when it was determined that we needed to go in for a C-section, the doctors and nurses swooped in and performed a beautifully choreographed preparation for baby’s early arrival. The instant Maribel came into the world, Dr. Ravisankar and his team got her exactly what she needed for her care. And from that point on, we felt that we had been welcomed into a new family – the Mercy family. The nurses, doctors, and nurse practitioners were incredible with Maribel, caring for her with such tremendous knowledge, gentleness, and love. They were patient with us as parents, answering our millions of questions. But, while so much was happening around us, they always made sure to include us in discussions of care and made it clear that we were the ultimate decision-makers.
"Each and every test, ultrasound, X-ray, treatment, etc., was performed right there in our room. Maribel never had to be stressed by being moved around. Plus, the fact that we as her parents got to stay there as long as she was a patient, was nothing short of remarkable. We could be there to hold her, read to her, sing to her, care for her at all times. That was very healing for us, and we were told that our time with her aided her development.
"Mercy truly became our home away from home, and every member of the Birthplace/NICU team made us feel welcomed, comfortable, and like a part of the Mercy family.
"We received an incredible education in the care of our child, so that when it was time for us to go home, we felt equipped to do it on our own. And, in all honesty, going home was almost bittersweet. We grew to be quite fond of the people we met through this experience, and we miss seeing them regularly. Each of them holds a very special place in the hearts of our family.
"We owe our daughter’s life to the expertise, wisdom, and expert care of the folks at Mercy Birthplace and NICU. We will never forget that, and we will always, ALWAYS be grateful to them for everything they did for us."
-- Aaron, Hannah and Maribel
