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Time with Charlie and Gracie was very important to
both K.C. and Sarah. They made every effort to be with
them at every feeding. Sarah also recalls a nurse named
Lisa who showed her how to massage her tiny babies
to help them relax.
“It was the first time they really responded to me,”
Sarah said. “In a big institution, I don’t know if we would
have been able to have a personal experience like that. It
felt to me that the nurses and doctors weren’t just caring
for our babies, they loved our babies.”
In Kootenai’s birthing center, under Schneider’s direc-
tion, that feeling is more like a philosophy.
“It is important for staff to be technically competent,”
Schneider said. “But there is still that heart piece that mat-
ters somuch. It’s really important that we don’t just bring
our skills, but we also bring our hearts towork every day.”
Today, Charlie and Gracie are healthy, happy toddlers.
K.C. and Sarah say their personalities are reflective of
their size when they were born. Charlie is the burly big
brother, and Gracie is the fire-cracker little sister.
“I know how important it was to me to be close to
my babies and close to home,” Sarah said. “I think it is
important for this community to have a NICU. I am so
grateful for the experience I had. I want every mother
to be able to have this experience.”
S AV E T H E D A T E !
Join the Kootenai Health Foundation at this
year’s Festival of Trees in support of neonatal
intensive care services at Kootenai Health. To learnmore,
visit
TheFestivalofTrees.com
or call
208-666-2345
.
Photo by Sheena Dunn, Spectacular Images
Thanks to Kootenai’s neonatal intensive care,
Charlie and Gracie are healthy, happy additions
to the McVey family.
KOO T E NA I
H E A L T H
. OR G
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