What do you do with a brand new seven- or eight-pound bundle of life that was just handed to you? This happened to me twice as a young father. The first time was in February 1994 with Abbie DeLoach, and the second time was in January 1996 with Anna (Annie) DeLoach.
Abbie was delivered via Cesarean section, while Annie was born with the help of a doctor and forceps. I am going to use common analogies to describe what occurred in both deliveries.
With Abbie, it was like going to the hood of your car and opening it to look at the engine. The mechanics (doctors and nurses) were in there checking, poking, pulling and looking around for this special part of the engine. They spent a lot of time doing so. When they found it, all the mechanics were so happy that the new part worked perfectly and the hood to the car was lowered, so to speak, with no other problems.
With Annie, it was different. All the doctor and nurses were there, waiting patiently for several days for her to arrive. Eventually, the hospital staff decided she needed some help in arriving. The doctor grabbed what looked like large salad tongs, reached into the “bowl” and pulled out a large “salad” called Annie.
My daughters were delivered in the hospital with two totally different methods. What is even crazier is that neither one came with instructions! On both occasions, their mother and I were handed someone brand new to this world after doctors and nurses had taken care of us for days. We were scared to death as new parents. We didn’t know how to change a diaper every hour for what felt like the next five years, much less attend to everything they needed.
We so appreciated the doctors and nurses who helped us with both our daughters. And I felt honored to attend the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) event that was held this past Thursday at the Georgia Capitol. The GNA is the largest professional association for registered nurses in Georgia. More than 200 GNA members gathered in Atlanta, and Governor Brian Kemp took a photo with those in attendance.
Matt Caseman, GNA CEO, and Tim Davis, GNA senior director of membership and government affairs, met with their members at a breakfast and went over 2023-2024 legislative needs and concerns. The Abbie DeLoach Foundation is a proud supporter of GNA and looks forward to working with the organization for many years to come.
Nurses put themselves on the line every day to care for others and make their lives better. Be sure to take a minute and thank a nurse who has helped you or your family in some way.
Leave a Reply