Today CBIB got a call from one of the nurses who was seeking our assistance. The nurses we speak to are very considerate people. They are angels of mercy. They are sent by God for the poor mom’s that help. There are so many of them, but this story today is about one of the nurses CBIB has had the privilege of working with for years.
On the phone, the nurse begged us, “Can CBIB please take one more baby to bury? You just gotta help this lady.” She added, “You see I was there at the delivery. I was with her through it all. When the mother delivered her baby boy, I was there to catch the little guy. I caught him in my hand. His size was from my wrist to my pinky. As he fell into the palm of my hand, he was still in the sack. I don’t like when their first touch in this world is to hit the bed. Instead, I want the baby to fall into my hands. He was just a little guy, perfectly formed.” Then she added this slowly, “He was simply just perfect.” When she said this, she said it in the way a mother would have said it of her own child. ( I knew she had no children of her own except these little guys.) “He was simply just perfect,”, She proclaimed it adoringly, as if she were still looking at him. I could hear the wonder and amazement of God’s creation in her voice. I then understood her reasoning to give this little baby a respectful burial. It was then that I realized,we were also doing this for her. She helped to bring him into the world. I know it was a relief to her. A relief that we would provide for the baby and for the family who could not afford a burial. I questioned her, “Was he born alive?” She said, “No, he was 16 weeks gestation, must have been a cord death.” She continued, “I cleaned him all up and dressed him, to bring him to his mother, but he was so small that his little hat wouldn’t fit on his head. So I dressed him and swaddled him up in a blanket and laid him in his mother’s arm for the last time. I told her about CBIB in hopes that y’all could help.”
Through the years, our angel nurse has talked about many situations like this. She even called us crying once. She takes it very personal and grieves when her parents grieve. She is committed and dutiful. She is truly a compassionate nurse. The kind you want to know. The kind of nurse that restores your faith in humanity. She is the woman who cares. This is the kind of nurse that you would want at your own bedside when your in the hospital.
Later, when I spoke with the mother of the baby, I told her that I was talking to her nurse. The mother exclaimed, “Oh isn’t she just wonderful? Yes, I couldn’t believe how good she made me feel. It’s so weird that a total stranger could help you so much at a time like that. I love her!”
The meaning of the word compassion is the deep awareness of the suffering of another. To suffer with. It is intimacy, (In To Me See). So what makes the compassionate nurse? I think it is in the soul of a person. These people are rooted in a compassionate God and their actions reveals the God who lives within them. They are committed to many virtuous random acts of kindness in their work. They have a deeply heartfelt concern for people. They are servants of God. Are they Saints? No, but getting close I think. Their good character goes to the core of who they really are and the genuine concern for the people they serve reveals the true treasure that lies within them. There’s something very spiritual in their nature and in their words, their touch, and their deeds which brings healing and light even in the dark valley of death. I guess it is the spirit within them that gives them the strength and fortitude to serve others. I am proud of my sweet friend and I look forward to her beautiful voice calling me. I am so thankful that there are actually people out there like this in the world. She is in deed an angel of mercy.
Written By Lise Naccari
Jesus said, “Whatever you do for the least of these little ones, you have done it for me!”
