SAN ANTONIO — The halls of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Downtown Baptist Medical Center are lined with little footprints.
Twenty-year-old Breanna Tran’s biggest impression was left by the staff that helped her while she was there.
“I didn’t know that anything was going to happen; I didn’t think she was going to be in the NICU. I just thought it was going to be a regular experience,” she said.
After giving birth last June, Breanna was told that her newborn Juliette needed to be placed in intensive care.
“She had really bad jaundice. The levels were so high they were afraid that she could have gotten brain damage.”
Breanna’s doctor, NICU Medical Director John Isaac, made sure the new mom wouldn’t be separated from Juliette for long.
“The mother has carried the baby for 9 months. I’m here to help the baby and mother stay together as much as possible. Our philosophy here at Baptist Medical Center is to keep the mother and baby as far together as we can,” Dr. Isaac said.
Breanna also said that Dr. Isaac also went out of his way to make arrangements with the hospital so she could stay for one week and be with Juliette.
“That was the biggest thing. That just made me so happy,” she said.
Registered Nurse Norma Hernandez also left such a positive impact during her stay that Breanna always hoped to reunite with her.
“I got emotional before I told her bye. We had a good little goodbye and I said, ‘I hope I see you again!’”
And nine months later, Breanna, her husband, and Juliette did just that.
“I was crying all the time; my husband was always like, it’s going to be okay. I thank you the most for being there for me”
Norma Hernandez, who has worked at the hospital since 1988, said she always enjoys when her patients come back and see her.
“We love doing what we do, we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t,” she said.