God is still good.

Have we said it enough? "God is good."

One can never say it enough. “GOD IS GOOD!”

Yes, Ayden's current situation is terrifying, but we have had numerous blessings over the past forty-eight hours and during our seven week stay at Vanderbilt. Had Ayden been at home two days ago, he would not have survived. That alone is a “God thing.”

Allow me to start with three nights ago. Ayden was blessed with Amber as his nurse. Amber is wonderfully meticulous. She had Ayden this past weekend and had made herself familiar with Ayden's heart rhythms and his habits and personality. She also learned a lot about us… for better or for worse.

So when I told Amber that I was concerned about Ayden, she already knew to be concerned herself. She saw that his heart rate was really low; she knew that Ayden not wanting to eat was abnormal; she could see that he had zero energy.

And she advocated for Ayden. And she was joined by other nurses that likewise knew Ayden, Nicole and Jessica. They all stood with me around Ayden’s bed trying to persuade him to eat and rubbing me on the back as I cried.

We knew something wasn’t right.

At shift change, Ayden’s nurse became Havilah. Havilah is one of the most gracious individuals I have ever known. She is also an exceptional nurse for cardiac babies and their families. She doesn’t just take care of the big things, but she pays attention to the little things as well. Havilah is the one that put vanilla in his formula to inspire Ayden to try eating from a bottle. She is the one that configured a mobile from his toys. She is the one that taught me to hold up his legs and butt to help him poop.

Havilah is also the one that never left my son’s side that scary morning. She was a flurry of activity as she rushed labs, tried to get Ayden to take his medication (even though he hardly had the energy to cry), bundled Ayden up in between taking his temperature, comforted me, etc. Havilah was there to help save my son’s life. And her job didn’t end when she passed Ayden onto the PCCU. She stayed as an extra hand in the chaos. She also came by to see us later in the day.

I had requested Havilah to be Ayden’s nurse for that day. I believe that was no accident. She was beauty and compassion in the midst of a life-threatening storm.

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The STAT call over the intercom in the hospital is sickening to hear because one knows something is badly wrong for a child. Having the STAT call be necessary for your own child…

I honestly don’t remember much about the whirlwind of doctors and nurses. I remember calling out numbers to Havilah. I remember Bryan shouting our son’s correct weight. I remember feeling an awesome peace because I knew that finally, there was an influx of people there to help a baby that had been fading since the evening before. What I remember the most, though, is watching the faces of the nurses that had loved on Ayden for weeks in 6C. The tears welled up in their eyes… I knew that we were in a place where nurses were more than nurses.

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THE DAY NURSES

You all have met Anna. Anna was Ayden’s first love. He is awestruck by her.

I’ll never forget how Teresa battled for our son’s lab results after his SVT. She wanted answers, and she wanted them immediately. The same day that she was hashing it out with lab people was also the day that Ayden and I needed some serious rest. Teresa barred any visitors from entering the room, and I believe that it was the best that both of us had slept during the day since we had been on the 6^th floor.

Tara is pregnant with a little boy named Wyatt, and we know that she will make a fabulous mother. She does a superb job with reminding us to look at Ayden for the truth of the monitors and with teaching us to take care of our baby. Tara helped Ayden realize that he could sleep on his tummy without scrunching up his legs uncomfortably under his tummy. Tara refers to Ayden as “my boyfriend” and "Mr. Ayden."

Becca had Ayden only recently, but I have always appreciated how many hours Becca puts in to her work beyond the required number.

Margaret has also been a day nurse for Ayden, but I was unable to get a picture with her. The day that she had him he was fairly well sedated from the pacing study, so she didn’t get a chance to play with him very much. When I apologized for that, she said, “At least I get to look at him.” :)

THE NIGHT SHIFT

There have been a few parties in Ayden’s room during some recent night shifts. Once we were gently reminded that there were other patients trying to get some sleep during the evening hours. (I guess we were a little too loud.) Brandi was on shift on one such night loving on my sweet baby. (One more note: We love the way Brandi says "wipes." The long "i" is extra long.)

Sarah was oriented with Ayden as her patient. She came during the time that Ayden’s poop had to be tested for blood. She always had a great humor about his smelly Elecare poop and the unfortunate task of handling it beyond the normal weigh and toss. Sarah is gentle and kind, and I was glad to have her take care of our baby during orientation and following.

Abby is usually the charge nurse for the night shift. She has actually been Ayden’s nurse only once, and I believe that it was the first night that we were on the 6^th floor. I had never spent the night “alone” with my son, and I was already exhausted from hospital life over the previous weeks. I remember how helpful Abby was in coordinating the vital sign checks, her assessments, and my own crazy pumping schedule. She helped Ayden and I get some rest and made me feel like 6C life would be doable.

Sonia is one of my absolute favorite care partners. Not only is she super sweet, but she is super careful about not waking up Ayden (or me) during the night while checking his vitals. If she does wake Ayden, she doesn’t just walk away and let him cry; she soothes and comforts him and has this amazing calming effect over Ayden that lulls him into a sweet sleep. Sonia is also very intentional about clustering her care with the nurses so that our rest in maximized in the evening hours. Sonia says that she gets her baby fix being around our little one, as she refers to him as “my baby.”

When Nicole is on duty, I always feel a sense of peace. She is often the charge nurse, though Ayden has been lucky enough to also have her as night nurse as well. She is exceptionally helpful in either role. She has the knowledge and wisdom of a charge nurse and the nurturing manner of a bedside nurse. Nicole has helped me soothe Ayden on nights that he has been NPO, doing things like bathing him at 2AM and patting his bottom, as she addresses him as “Bubba” and "Pumpkin."

One of the things that I love about Jessica is that I can often identify her voice before I ever see her. She has a recognizable Southern accent paired with a joyful spirit. Living in the hospital has the potential to bring you down, so I enjoy Jessica’s positive energy. 

Amy is an attentive nurse, and she recognizes slight changes. She is willing to ask questions of both the doctors and me when she sees things for concern. She knows that cardiac children need a responsive nurse.

THE RESIDENT

During our time at Vanderbilt Children’s, we have encountered two residents that we fully appreciate, English in the NICU and Bridget in 6C. Both women desire to be pediatric cardiologists, and it is evident in everything that they do that they are knowledgeable, passionate, and amiable.

While in 6C, Bridget made herself accessible; she listened well; she loved well. As parents of a cardiac baby, Bryan and I have numerous questions, and occasionally, we question. We felt confident in Bridget’s ability to answer our questions and our questioning. We are sad to see that Bridget will be going to Colorado to do her fellowship, but we are grateful for the care that she gave Ayden, and we wish her many blessings in her new journey! Those children have no idea how awesome they will have it with Bridget as their clinical fellow!