Client Story

MELA client story

Mela knew she didn’t feel good. During her pregnancy, she was gaining an excessive amount of weight and had a big jump in blood pressure. When her family would tell her, “Oh, you are just As her pregnancy progressed, Tonya helped Mela pregnant,” her nurse Tonya encouraged her to go to the monitor her blood pressure and understand the risk doctor and get help fast. levels. When her blood pressure jumped to the danger zone, Tonya helped Mela call the doctor’s office to get “I feel like if it wasn’t for nurse Tonya things wouldn’t in for an immediate appointment. Mela was diagnosed have turned out the way that it did,” said Mela. with preeclampsia. She then pushed to see a specialist Mela – 22-years old and living in Memphis – had enrolled for high-risk pregnancies – who detected that her blood in the Nurse-Family Partnership® program during her pressure was at stroke level. Mela was admitted to the pregnancy and was working with Tonya, a nurse home hospital. visitor who provided her with home visits to help her have “I was terrified,” said Mela. “The only thing I knew I a healthy pregnancy. wanted was for my baby to be okay.” During those early home visits with Mela, Tonya knew Mela had an emergency C-section and delivered her baby from Mela’s high-blood pressure and weight gain that she girl Mikaya at 30 weeks. She weighed only two pounds was facing a high-risk pregnancy and showing signs of and six ounces. preeclampsia. “When she was in the NICU, that was the hardest time for Mela needed prenatal care, but she did not have health me,” said Mela. insurance. Tonya quickly coached Mela on how to enroll in Medicaid. Even after Mela obtained Medicaid Tonya visited Mela in the neonatal intensive care unit coverage, she had difficulty finding a doctor who would (NICU) and Mela said, “It helped me a lot. I looked see her since she was late in starting prenatal care. Tonya forward to her coming.” encouraged Mela to be persistant. She told her to call While Mikaya was in the NICU, Mela tried to breastfeed. the next doctor on her list and explain how important it Tonya had taught her the benefits for both mom and was to her to make sure her baby was healthy and start baby, but it would not be easy. Mikaya was being fed prenatal check-ups. Mela followed Tonya’s advice and had through a feeding tube in the NICU and had not had the her initial appointment within the next week. initial skin-to-skin contact. Despite the challenge, Mela

Nurse-Family Partnership • 866.864.5226 • www.nursefamilypartnership.org was determined to give her baby her breast milk to help provider. Nurses encourage them to be good parents and her preemie’s health. Mela set her alarm clock to make set goals for themselves. It means a lot for the moms sure she was pumping enough breast milk for her baby. to have someone walking alongside their journey and MELA helping them along the way.” “I was the cheerleader,” said Tonya. “I encouraged her to keep trying if that was something that she really wanted Tonya was a nurse with the Nurse-Family Partnership to do. She knew all the benefits for mom and baby.” program at Le Bonheur Community Health and Wellbeing in Memphis, Tennessee. Mela and Tonya’s story was featured When the doctor told her she could go home, Mela cried in the Glamour article, “How Far Would You Go to Save a

client story and said she didn’t want to leave her baby. Baby?” in May 2012. After being released from the hospital, Mela returned almost every day to read to her baby. Tonya had encouraged Mela to read to Mikaya to help her development.

After six weeks in the NICU, Mela was finally able to bring Mikaya home. Tonya’s home visits continued and Tonya helped Mela – who was new at being a mom – learn how to care for a preemie.

Mikaya did not know the difference between night and day and would cry and cry. Mela thought, “Oh, my gosh, what did I get myself into. Am I doing something wrong?”

Tonya told her, “When Mikaya sleeps, you sleep. Be patient.”

Mela got more comfortable the more she adapted to her baby and got into a daily routine.

With Tonya’s support in learning how to be a confident mom, Mikaya’s heath and development progressed. Tonya continued to provide Mela with home visits until Mikaya’s second birthday.

Tonya reports that Mikaya is now a healthy little girl. “She is a ball of energy and loves to run and play,” she said. “She is doing awesome.”

Mela also worked hard to achieve her goals for her family’s future. Despite losing her job soon after giving birth, Mela stayed focused on applying for new jobs and never lost sight of her ultimate goal of becoming a nurse.

“Just keep moving forward and try your best to follow all your goals,” Tonya would tell her. “Stay persistent.”

Mela will soon be starting school to continue her prerequisite courses for nursing school.

“Nurse-Family Partnership gave me a boost to my confidence and showed me that I could be a good parent to my daughter,” said Mela. “I think it was the best thing I could have done.”

When asked what makes NFP successful, Tonya said, “The relationship with the nurse and the family means a lot to the moms who may not have the support of a healthcare