I believe the day I was surfing the internet, while my first newborn was sleeping on my maternity leave back in January of 2010 was a planned day by none other than our wonderful Lord. I remember I was searching photographer information for a friend who was, well not important...moving on...and I clicked on a photographer Natalie (I've always thought that was a pretty name), blog who lives in Hawaii (I want to go to Hawaii). What I read changed me...as a new mother, as a nurse, as a christian, how I perceived blogs and death.
I want to share this wonderful soul and how she impacted me by sharing her world.
She has 4 sons and lost her baby, Gavin, January 7, 2010 to Pertussis (whooping cough). You can read her old blog here where she told of us her new baby, how he got sick, then got much sicker, that he ascended to heaven, that she struggled to heal and live her life without her son, begging people to get vaccinated, and how she began to heal and actually live and enjoy her life again.
Like I said, at the time I found her, I was on maternity leave with Bella, she was just a couple of months younger that Gavin. There were many times when I felt like I was holding my baby and across the country there was a broken Natalie longing to do nothing more that hold her Gavin. It absolutely made me hold my daughter tighter, longer, stare at her more and praise God louder for each day I had with her. As I would check my computer almost daily to see how my "friend" was doing, I prayed for her, daily. She was mere a stranger, but she was more. So much more to me.
As a nurse, there was 1 post that touch me down to my core. I cannot read it or talk about it without tearing up. I tried yesterday to tell a friend who is transferring from L&D to NICU, I couldn't complete the story without being a blubbering mess right there at work. Click below to read the touching post that she wrote 8 months after her son passed away.
(I'm sorry if I have you crying now.) It was the simple act of that "angel nurse", that prompted the lasting impression on Natalie. As a healthcare provider, I've seen all too many times, that we can't always "heal" everyone and tragedy will happen, but tiny moments and simple acts can make a positive lasting impression on parent's and families. That story pierced my heart...it still does. So, I'd like for each person to read this know that Whooping Cough (pertussis) is a vaccine-preventable disease. Infants are scheduled to be vaccinated at 2, 4, 6 and 15mo. Boosters are given at 4-5 years and then at 11 years. Adults should have a booster as well if they are in contact with infants who are not fully vaccinated (<15mo) and especially infants who are <2mo and haven't started their vaccinations. Parents and family members are the most common source of Pertussis for infants.Whooping cough is on a dangerous rise in our country. GET VACCINATED at your doctor or local health department.
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*sniffle, sniffle*
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