Nurse cares like family during patient's birthday

Lindsay Post Jun 10, 2020

Angela's door at McKay-Dee Hospital

It’s not every day a new mom celebrates her birthday the day after her baby’s birth, let alone without her loved ones beside her, but that’s what happened to Angela Vockler who celebrated her birthday on the McKay-Dee Hospital Maternity Nursing Unit last month. Angela’s family was unable to visit her in the hospital due to COVID-19 visitor restrictions and other factors — but she says it was still a great experience.

One of her nurses, Yi Weaver, RN, went out of her way to fill Angela’s day with totally unexpected birthday surprises. “Angela was stuck here on her birthday without her support system,” says Yi. “The COVID-19 restrictions combined with a sick babysitter meant her husband had to stay home and watch their other young kids. I wanted to do something nice as a surprise, so I decorated the outside of her door. I knew she wouldn’t know it unless she walked out of the room.”

“When I realized my door was decorated I almost started crying,” says Angela. “I hadn’t expected anything. People were coming in wishing me a happy birthday and I’m like, ‘How did you know?’”

Next Yi asked Food Services to send up a chocolate cake. “I didn’t know it was coming,” says Angela. “They wrote ‘happy birthday’ on it and everything.”

Angela says she had many conversations with Yi during her stay and she appreciated the extra time given to her. They showed each other photos of their kids and talked about what life has been like during the pandemic.

“She really took the time to make sure I didn’t feel like I was alone,” Angela says. “She did it all on her own. It was awesome.”

“We talked a lot and had a great connection,” says Yi.

Yi also helped Angela with video visits with her husband and two other kids. “Yi held the phone up while I visited with my family and showed them the baby,” Angela says. “My other kids couldn’t believe the baby had come out and was on video.”

“Everyone at McKay-Dee went above and beyond to show they care,” she adds. “They really made me special, but that’s always been my experience at the hospital. The nurses are so friendly and personal. It never feels like a typical patient experience. They do an extraordinary job.”

Angela’s daughter, Emmah, was born on May 6, just a few hours shy of Angela’s birthday on May 7, and nearly a week before Angela’s mom on May 13. “In the future it will be fun celebrating with family again, but I’ll definitely never forget this unique birthday,” she says.

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