“We’ll never forget them,” new mom writes nurses

Jen, Dave and Nash.

This letter was sent to Patti DeStefano, director of the Childbirth and Mother-Baby units, for the nurses who cared for and helped deliver Jen Kinsey’s son, Nash, earlier this year at Memorial Hospital of South Bend.

“I don’t know if you remember our conversation or not, but you came into our Mother-Baby room shortly after we delivered our little man, Nash, back at the end of January and asked us about our experience. I just want to again tell you just how wonderful our entire experience truly was. There’s not a day that goes by that Dave and I don’t look at our little man and think about how lucky we are and how we absolutely could not have done it without your staff. And I truly mean that. As a nurse, myself at Memorial, I expected to have good care, but I never imagined it to be as great as it was.” 

Lacey Katowich, BSN, RNC, Marianne Davis, BSN, RNC, and Allison Campbell, BSN, RN — Jen said she cannot say enough good about these nurses who tended to her during her hospital stay.

“Lacey was with us during admission and starting the induction process. She was wonderful with getting us comfortable, explaining the process ahead, making sure I was comfortable and that my husband was, as well.

“Marianne, she is just incredible! She was fun and upbeat, yet focused and knowledgeable. We thought for sure we’d have Nash on her shift. She had us all prepared for what to expect and how things would go. Her shift came to an end, and still no baby. We were sad to see her go, but she promised she would come see us Monday on MB after we had delivered. I know how busy it is to be a nurse and didn’t expect her to actually come see us, but sure enough she showed up Monday morning just to love on our boy and say hello. That meant the world to Dave and I.

“Allison took over for Marianne and we quickly grew to love her, too. She was real, down-to-earth, very knowledgeable, had a calming presence about her, and really helped Dave and I calm our nerves as time got closer. During my entire time of pushing, she held my leg up on her belly (her pregnant belly). I said to her at one point, ‘You probably shouldn’t be lifting my dead-weight leg on your belly,’ she just smiled and said, ‘Don’t worry about me.’ She was encouraging through the whole process, especially when I didn’t think I could push any more. She was there with gentle encouraging words to help me through one more push and one more contraction. She believed in me during a moment when I didn’t believe in myself. That meant more to me than she’ll ever know. Then the way she loved our boy from the moment he arrived until she said good-bye to us at 2 a.m. in MB. We again were sad to see our time with her end.

“We truly could not have asked for better nurses! As in many departments, the nurses always seem to do most of the work, but I think this is even truer in labor and delivery. Marianne and Allison literally did everything, then at the very end, (the doctor arrived) and delivered Nash. About and hour before Nash arrived, Allison said to me, ‘OK, let’s do some practice pushes!’ I remember thinking, ‘WHAT?!’ Well, little did I know we weren’t really practicing at all. I just remember pushing and looking around thinking, ‘There is no doctor in here, what are we doing?!’ But Allison knew exactly what she was doing. … The nurses definitely do not get enough recognition for all that they do.

“I’m sorry this has become so lengthy, but I just really want you to know what an amazing staff you have! I’m sure Lacey, Marianne, and Allison have all long since forgotten about our little family and short time there, but I want them to know we will never forget them or the wonderful experience they gave us bringing our son into this world.

“Thank you all from the very bottom of our hearts!”

Jen Kinsey, BSN, RN, 10 South, Memorial Hospital
and her husband Dave Kinsey, and Nash