Losing a child is one of the worst things that can happen to a person.
Sadly this is something that mother Rachel Whalen knows first hand, as on the day of her pregnancy, her baby was stillborn and tragically passed away.
Our heart certainly goes out to Rachel and all others who have had to endure something so terrible. We can’t imagine what it must be like to go through.
Really, it’s hard to know what to say to someone who has had to deal with a family tragedy such as this. The death of a child is a topic that is so uncomfortable to talk about that most of us just tip-toe around it, and at the end of the day, giving someone your condolences can only do so much to help.
In fact, what initially helped Rachel wasn’t all the support, hugs, or kisses from friends and family, but instead, the actions of the angelic nurses in the hospital who were there to care for her during the ordeal.
Now, Rachel is coming out to share her story with the world and thank those who served as her guiding light throughout the emotional aftermath of her tragic loss.
A heart-wrenching letter she originally wrote for Still Standing Magazine, entitled, “To The Nurses Whose Compassion Helped Me Heal After My Baby Was Stillborn”, is now going viral on the An Unexpected Family Outing Facebook page.
“To the nurses, Thank you for saving me. Your skills and your knowledge saved me from following my daughter into death, but it was your compassion that guided me back towards life. The humanity you demonstrated is what brought me back into life; you made it possible to think about living after death. For this, I owe you my love and deepest gratitude.”
“Thank you to the nurses who always made sure my husband had enough pillows when he had to stay in my hospital room. And thank you to the nurses who let him sneak popsicles from the freezer. You recognized that this was an experience for him and that he also needed your care.”
It’s easy to forget that it is not just the mother who suffers in a situation like this. Oftentimes, the father is just as affected and in need of emotional support.
Thankfully the nurses were there to lend their compassion. The doctors as well. After Rachel was hauled off to the ICU, they did a brilliant job, and through their careful work, they were able to save her life.
The letter continues:
“Thank you to the nurse who came with me when they rushed me to the ICU from Labor & Delivery. Thank you for being my advocate when I couldn’t speak up because I was too busy fighting for my life. I’m not sure I would have lived to see my daughter if you hadn’t been there.”
“Thank you to the nurse who taught me how to fill my bra with ice packs when I needed to suppress my milk after my daughter was stillborn. I also want to thank you for holding me as I wept at the burden I could not release. Your embrace did nothing to lighten the heaviness in my breasts, but you brought a glimmer of light into my very dark world.”
“Thank you to the nurse in the ICU who came in to clean me up after my daughter died. Thank you for taking the time to help me wash my face and brush my hair. I can still sense how it felt to have you smooth my hair back into a ponytail, it was a touch that wasn’t a poke or a prod. It was a gesture.”
Proper self-care during a time of tragedy is one of the most important things for recovery, but it is also often one of the hardest. It’s much easier to just close your eyes and hope it was all just a bad dream.
The nurses fulfilled a sort of motherly role for Rachel, taking care of her in her time of need when she couldn’t do so herself.
The letter continues on for several more paragraphs in the same fashion and it’s quite emotional. Rachel signs it at the bottom:
“Gratefully,
The One You Brought Back”
Ultimately, while one life was lost that day, it could have easily been two. The nurses were the ones who brought Rachel back from the edge and saved her life.
Their compassion is something Rachel and her husband will remember forever.
The full version of the letter can be found here.
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