Samantha

The Best of Me

 The excitement of seeing her baby for the first time quickly turned to panic for Samantha when a nurse from her clinic called to tell her to visit her doctor because ‘we saw something on your ultrasound’.  Through the haze of shock and disbelief, Samantha heard the words ‘heart problem, birth defects, Trisomy 13’. In the days that followed, Samantha felt desperate, helpless. Then, during a routine pregnancy education session at Women’s Life Care Center, Samantha broke down. Confused and overwhelmed, she told us her story. Samantha’s distress was met with more grace than she could have imagined -- and ultimately, Samantha emerged stronger than ever.

A nurse had sent Samantha to Women’s Life Care Center, knowing that she would need a lot of support.

“When I came there, everyone was like family to me. It was like they knew me already. It was very calming. I felt like I was at home. No stress. They told me ‘now that you are here we will do everything we can to see you go through this journey’. 

I took the parenting classes. I took the life coaching. They accompanied me to the doctor when I needed support. They made me have hope when I thought hope was gone.

They helped me to have Martha. She lived for four months but during that time Martha made a good impression on my life. I went to school (to become a nurse assistant), I graduated and I’m working now in the health care field. 

Today, I’m so proud of myself.”

Samantha now works full time as a nurse assistant at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul.  “I love my job!” she says. Samantha is also enrolled in nursing school and is expecting another child, a daughter, due to be born on April 21.