Erin’s NICU Story
Rounding with Patients: Erin and Rylie’s Story
Erin’s journey into motherhood wasn’t easy. At just over 28 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome, a rare and often dangerous condition that affects only 0.1% to 1% of pregnancies. Following a premature C-section delivery, Erin’s daughter, Rylie, spent five months at the St. Elizabeth Edgewood Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Watch Erin’s powerful NICU story and read on for a glimpse into the heartwarming connections she formed with her NICU nurses.
Q: How did you find your way to St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s NICU?
“I’m very stubborn,” says Erin, describing her reluctance to seek medical care when she started to feel severe shoulder pain. She was 28 weeks and three days into her pregnancy. Her husband, Bobby, insisted she go to the emergency room.
“They didn’t like how my blood pressure looked,” says Erin. “They called
St. Elizabeth’s Family Birth Place, and one of my obstetricians was on call and told me to come in. I don’t remember much after that because I was apparently sicker than we realized.”
Doctors performed an emergency C-section, and Rylie, their daughter, was born. “She was very small, weighing just under two pounds,” says Erin. “They placed her on a ventilator (a medical device that assists or takes over the breathing process), and she also experienced cardiac arrest. Doctors were able to revive her.”
“She tried to die on me twice,” says Kathy Collins, RN in the NICU. “One time was a very close call but we saw her through it.”
Learn More
For more information about the services available through The Family Birth Place, please call (859) 301-2229 (BABY).
Q: As a mother, how did you navigate the challenges of having a baby in the NICU?
“I cried a lot,” says Erin. “I was mad. I felt shorted. It wasn’t fair that I didn’t get to have a full-term pregnancy, and I was upset because I got sick and thought because of that, my daughter had to suffer. Sometimes, I’m still really mad about it.”
“It is hard,” agreed Collins. “It’s unfortunate for you as a mom to have to experience what you went through and not be able to experience a normal delivery and childbirth.”
Q: Why did you choose to deliver at St. Elizabeth Healthcare?
“I hadn’t considered delivering anywhere else,” says Erin. “My cousins work here. All of my family had their deliveries here. It’s just five minutes from where I live. Having grown up and lived in Northern Kentucky all my life, St. Elizabeth Healthcare was always the obvious choice. It’s the go-to place whenever there’s a problem.”
Q: Can you share your thoughts about the nurses caring for your child?
“There are not enough ways to say thank you to the nurses at St. Elizabeth Healthcare,” says Erin. “I could say it in every language and every way, and it would still not be enough to express how my husband and I feel. These NICU nurses care so deeply. They love and want to care for your child.”
“I love kids. I love babies. And I love being a nurse,” explains Collins.
“Knowing that so many people cared so much about my daughter made all the difference,” says Erin. “Without these talented and highly skilled nurses, my daughter wouldn’t be here. She made it because of that NICU team.”
Q: What advice would you offer mothers about to experience the NICU?
Erin points to a moment of personal growth when she learned some important lessons as both a patient at St. Elizabeth Healthcare and the mother of a NICU baby. “Let your nurses help you,” she recommends. “I’m very stubborn, and in my mind, the NICU nurses shouldn’t have been there to care for me. They were there for Rylie. After my C-section, as soon as I felt better and could get up and walk, I wouldn’t let the nurses even get me a glass of water. I wouldn’t let them do anything for me. I had to get it myself. Looking back, I realize that was not the best decision I could have made.”
Erin encourages other moms with babies in the NICU to ask for help and trust their nurses. “Let them help you while they’re helping your baby because you can’t do the best for your child unless you’re taken care of as well. In a roundabout way, letting them help you helps your baby. And take their advice when they tell you to go home and get some sleep. There were days when I forgot to eat,” she says. “So, when the nurses remind you to eat, do it.”
