SAHealth.com 5 KEEPINGWELL — SPRING 2022 Annaleigh’s Room supports grieving families First-time parents Rebekah and Andrew Paltz lost their baby, Annaleigh, at birth two years ago. “It was a hard day,” said Rebekah. “But it was one of my favorite days, too. She was just so beautiful. I got to hold her, and when I talk about her, it’s like she is still here.” The couple anticipated a normal delivery at Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak, but staff could not find the baby’s heartbeat. It was later determined that the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice. “The staff was just amazing. They did an excellent job helping us grieve,” she said. “We all got to hold her in our arms and say goodbye,” said Rebekah. “I don’t know if I would feel as whole as I do now without being able to hold her. Holding your baby in your arms is something that every mom should do. It’s your baby, whether she is breathing or not.” was when we said goodbye to Annaleigh,” said Rebekah. “I feel that infant loss just is not talked about enough,” she said. “It’s downplayed because you really did not get to know your baby. Families are hurting, but we don’t know how to reach out to them. So many people just try not to bring it up. But not mentioning it doesn’t help. Annaleigh was our first-born child. She will always be our baby and part of our family. We want to talk about her and remember her.” In Annaleigh’s Room, a beautiful mural decorates the wall. A bassinette sits in the corner to give a place for babies to meet their families. On the “Our Saved Angels” plaque, families may memorialize the loss of their baby by writing their name and date of birth on a tag to be permanently displayed. “With Annaleigh’s Room, hospital staff is making sure that our little girl is making an impact even though she is not here,” Rebekah said. “We knew we wanted to do something to remember Annaleigh, and Kaylen Bagley, RN, at the hospital, suggested creating a special room to honor other families going through infant loss,” said Rebekah. This legacy was realized on Annaleigh’s second birthday in December 2021 with the creation of Annaleigh’s Room. “It’s actually the same room where my family From left: Jana Castro, Director of L&D; Andrewand Rebekah Platz; Kaylen Bagley, RN; Corinne Schulze, RN; and CEO JeffWilson commemorate the opening of Annaleigh’s Room.
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