When Cindy and David R. found out they were having triplets, they turned to Cindy’s OB/GYN, Dr. Allison A. Hill, for support.
They knew Cindy’s pregnancy and delivery would be high-risk, so Dr. Hill advised the nervous, expectant parents to give birth at PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, known for its world-class Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Cindy was admitted to PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital two days before her delivery. She was very scared and emotional. “The nurses really showed their care for me,” she says.
She gave birth at 26 weeks to three beautiful children; Gabriel, Nicolas and Natalia. Each weighed between 1.4 and 1.7 pounds. Gabriel and Nicolas were in the hospital for about four months while Natalia, the smallest, stayed for five months to gain a bit more weight.
“Dr. Hill was amazing,” Cindy recalls. “She supported us tremendously during one of the scariest times of our lives. I felt so lucky and blessed.”
She also remembers some of the staff who went out of their way to help. “Nurses like Shauna, Maria, Barbara, Jodi and Jean were so helpful and worked beyond their scheduled work shifts to bathe the babies, change their diapers and help us with their breathing treatments.”
Today, Gabriel, Nicolas and Natalia are healthy and active four-year-olds. Every year on their birthday, they visit the NICU staff and celebrate with birthday cake. They enjoy handing out thank you cards with family photos to the NICU staff.