Day 41:
The following is the letter I'm sending to the Virginia Hospital Center NICU for the great work they did with you, Conor. The Lion Heart's sanctuary of peace, health, and well being. Conor An Chroí Lion's working Angels...
January 23, 2012
Virginia Hospital Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
1701 N. George Mason Drive
Arlington, VA
22205
To the wonderful Doctors, Nurses, and Staff of the VHC NICU,
On behalf of the Yerkes family I would like to offer a sincere “Thank You” for the exceptional care provided to our Son, Conor Daniel Yerkes, born December 14th, 2011, 7:45am. His stay in the NICU was not quite three weeks and I’m pleased to report Conor is eating, growing, and doing beautifully at his home in Fairfax, VA.
The professionalism of all who we encountered in our time within your facility was truly excellent. In fact, and I stated as much as we were leaving on January 2nd, 2012, the staff at the Virginia Hospital Center NICU are perhaps the finest group of professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Your outward kindness and understanding of how difficult this life’s experience can be was only matched by your every effort to make it as pleasant an experience as one could have under the circumstances.
My wife and I understood there would be a high probability our child would see time in the NICU through risks and complications spotted early in her pregnancy by her OBGYN, Dr. Susanne Lashgari; an exceptional Doctor in her own right. Still, we’d no idea what to expect upon beginning this journey and when we came out the other side we were no doubt better prepared to be the parents our Son deserves... Not only were the staff helpful and hardworking, but they were willing to provide us with any level of detail and information simply for the asking. I believe this is a testament to people who truly love what they do, and in the case of the VHC NICU, we didn’t run into a single exception.
There were many Nurses who worked with Conor and assisted us in understanding the stages of his stay in your facility, and all were excellent. Though in specific we would like to mention a few for going above and beyond anything we could have ever expected...
Nurse Cheryl - You were there the moment he was born and you were there pushing the “EXIT NICU” button the moment we left. Thank you.
Nurse “Jersey” Jen - It really is the little things. The note you left on Conor’s isolette touched us so deeply. Noting his bilirubin level, details regarding residuals at his 3:30am and 6:30am feedings, and finally a note in his hand saying, “I’m trying to get better so I can come home as soon as I can! I can’t wait! Love- Conor” Truly exceptional. We can’t thank you enough. Sincerely.
Nurse Jim - Your quiet enthusiasm, calming presence, and attention to detail were so well received in those early days. The entire prospect of your child in Intensive Care is a daunting one. Though your matter of fact delivery and complete understanding of the medicine took us from ‘worry‘ to ‘inquisitive‘. In that moment, it was exactly what was needed. Thank you. And thank you for your service to our country.
Nurse Sarah D - You truly made the nights more bearable. Your excellent skills and professionalism were only matched by your conversational and caring spirit. Thank you so much for being such a wonderful Nurse as well as a “friend” during our stay in the NICU.
Nurse Suhir - There are not enough praises to be sung for the kindness, dedication, and professionalism you displayed in our time at the VHC NICU. For all the time I was unable to be at the facility due to other obligations, Sara spent many of her days in the NICU with you. What she truly appreciated about working with you was your empowering her to be a “Mother”, and not a bystander. Your words of encouragement and willingness to push her toward “knowing what her baby needs” as opposed to simply following the rule of law per the prescribed medicine is something every parent in the NICU should experience. Thank you so very much for helping my Son, and for helping Sara. You have our deepest gratitude.
Nurse Practitioner Terri - My experiences with Nurse Practitioners have been excellent and were only further exceeded by your high level of enthusiasm, thoroughness, and attentiveness given to my Son. Our General Practitioner is Dr. Jay Tyroller at Fair Oaks Hospital. I wouldn’t know who he was if I bumped into him in the grocery store and I’ve been a patient at his practice for eleven years. However Nurse Practitioner Beverly Bayer I’ve seen almost exclusively for all that time and she’s like a warm blanket whenever I’m in need of medical help. Pardon my digression, but you, and she, are testament to your professions. The perfect medium between medical science and enthusiastic care. You were excellent to work with, thank you so much.
To Dr Kumar, Dr Yoon, Dr Runkle, Dr Archer, and Dr Holdson... As gifted as you all are, so to is the staff around you. Truly a gift in enabling you to practice medicine at such an exceptional level. The work you all perform is nothing short of miraculous despite the science, and your chosen discipline is to be commended. Thank you all so very much for the excellent care and attention to detail you showed my Son, Conor. We are all forever grateful for your efforts. Sincerely.
And finally to the entire staff within the Virginia Hospital Center NICU, thank you. Thank you so very much for being the wonderful people you are in your chosen profession.
Very Sincerely-
Shane, Sara, and Conor Yerkes
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