Rachel Whalen is a mother of two, but that’s not the entire story. Rachel’s first child, Dorothy, was stillborn, and she’s sharing her story of how her guardian angels not only saved her life, but brought her back into life after losing her daughter.

Of course, Rachel had a loving support system of family and friends. But it wasn’t those family members and friends that pulled her back into the light. It was the nurses immediately after her loss that cared for her at the hospital that truly brought her back to life.

Rachel says the little things that the nurses did really added up and saved her. Their compassion and humanity brought her back out of the darkest day of her life and made her able to think about living after the death of her daughter.

It wasn’t just Rachel they took care of either. They understood that Dorothy’s daddy was hurting too and made sure to bring him enough pillows while he stayed in Rachel’s hospital room. They let him sneak popsicles from the freezer because they knew that he needed some TLC too. Although he wasn’t the one that was carrying the baby, he was suffering just as much as Rachel.

Rachel says it was the doctors who did their part in keeping Rachel alive during her traumatic birth experience, but it was the nurses who were crucial in saving both mom and dad once the doctors had done their part.

She says she will never forget the nurse that went with her from Labor and Delivery to ICU, and the nurse that helped her place ice packs in her bra after she suppressed milk because her stillborn daughter wouldn’t need it. Although the nurse couldn’t release the burden, she still held her as she wept.

Rachel says she still remembers the nurse that came in and smoothed her hair back into a ponytail and washed her face. She says it might have been the most kind gesture she’s ever experienced. And although no one wants to talk about someone’s deceased child, Rachel says that was a very important part of her healing. A nurse crouched by her side and asked her about Dorothy. She says it was important for her to be real even though she was gone.

Not only did the nurses talk to Rachel about Dorothy, but they dressed her and took her picture. They made sure that her hat didn’t cover her eyes and that her hands were positioned perfectly. Rachel says that picture means the world to her now.

The nurses that came in on the next shift were just as amazing, says Rachel. They took the time to read the chart and learn their names, including Dorothy’s. Although hearing the words “I’m sorry” doesn’t take away the pain, it at least allows them the chance to acknowledge that their feelings are real and helps mothers like Rachel recover.

The nurses also played a vital role when Rachel’s second child was born too. Even after Frances was born, the nurses never forgot that there was a tiny human that had come before her.

They knew that although Dorothy was stillborn, that didn’t make Rachel a first time mother. It made her a mother of two. And for those nurses she will be eternally grateful.

Be sure to share this story with your family and friends. Although discussing a stillborn child with a family member or friend isn’t easy, Rachel’s story is proof that it is exactly what the mother needs.