BSA Nurses Comfort Mother during Son’s NICU Stay

September 9, 2019

What began as a trip to the emergency room for stomach pains ended up with Desirae Himes leaving to find out she was eight weeks pregnant.

“I was shocked because I was told I couldn’t have any more children after having my daughter,” Himes shared.

At 37 weeks pregnant, Himes gave birth to her son, Ezekial at BSA.

After birth, one of her nurses encouraged Himes to try breastfeeding.

Himes and her nurse had a difficult time getting Ezekial to latch, which Himes chalked up to being tired from her tubal litigation surgery that morning.

“We tried burping him and using different positions but he was just not sucking,” Himes explained. “The nurse tried for about thirty minutes to burp him and feed him but he wasn’t eating.”

An hour later, a BSA Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse explained why Ezekial wouldn’t feed. Ezekial had an imperforate anus, meaning that he was not able to pass stool normally from his rectum. This meant he was going to have to undergo surgery.

Himes recalls being scared and remembers that her doctor comforted her and assured her that everything would be okay.

“I was hysterical, I was crying so badly and my doctor held me until my mom came in,” Himes shared. “She said ‘We’re going to take care of him and make sure he’s okay.’”

On the day of Ezekial's surgery, one of Himes’ nurses, Kara, walked the family down to the surgical room.

“That made us feel so much better because she reassured us everything was going to be okay - we really loved that,” Himes said.

The surgery took about three hours. After the surgery, Ezekial’s doctor reassured the Himes family that Ezekial did great and was going to be okay.

“I started crying because I was so thankful that she took the time and came to my room personally to tell me that he was okay,” Himes shared. “My husband and I were very relieved.”

Ezekial remained in the BSA NICU for five days following his surgery.

“The nurses in the NICU were amazing,” Himes said. “It made me feel so comfortable and so relieved that those nurses were there for him. It makes it easier knowing someone is there for your child when you’re not able to be,” Himes shared.

Since returning home, Ezekial has been healthy and is growing fast.

“He has his own little personality and is so different from Faith, my daughter,” Himes said. “He has so much energy and I feel like this didn’t affect him or slow him down at all. He’s just a really happy baby.”

For more information on the BSA Labor and Delivery department, visit bsahs.org/labor-and-delivery.

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