Our Life was Changed by You – Grady’s Story

Our pregnancy was like any other- labs were unremarkable, ultrasounds looked great, fetal movement and heart sounds were strong, and the baby was growing right on track. After our 34-week appointment, I was obsessed about the kick counts. Our appointment was on a Tuesday and on Wednesday I started to freak out about the baby’s movement. I went to work Wednesday night, slept poorly Thursday, and woke up in an absolute panic, a feeling of emptiness. I had dialed the doctor’s office but hung up thinking I was just freaking myself out. I had told my husband I couldn’t feel the baby and we both thought I was crazy; I was just at my appointment, and everything looked great. I calmed down and on my way to work that night, thought I had felt the movement I had been missing. I instantly felt a sigh of relief. The movements never felt the same, but I could feel the baby push against me. 

I have been a pediatric cardiology nurse for years. I have seen a lot of death and sad stories in my career. I have seen families’ lives flip upside down in an instance. I have watched patients take their last breath and have watched a family walk away from a hospital with nothing but their belongings. Never in my life did I think I could somehow relate even more to these families than …