As someone who has experienced traumatic loss — meaning loss that was too soon and too unexplainable, the loss of my coworker, aunt and baby — this proposal to close the hospital feels similar. Yes, it is just a job, but it is more than a job to me. It is my passion, and, yes, I can still work in labor and delivery in Austin or elsewhere, but I am passionate about the Baby Place. It was Angela Obermeyer, Paula Heijerman and Kirsten Meyer who inspired me to become a nurse, and the only place I ever wanted to be was the Baby Place.

Ten years ago, I fearfully went back to school when my son was 6 months old and worked my way through nursing school and my bachelor’s while continuing my family. Then I lost a child; my whole view of nursing changed — especially my labor and delivery nursing perspective. I became quite passionate in providing the best care possible to those families, too. Because I am an angel’s mom, I know I have helped others. Hearing things like “it happens for a reason” or “God has better things” are not helpful in times of loss. I know because I have experienced it. God does not take things tragically away to cause suffering — not people and certainly not jobs. These things happen because we are human. Human tragedies happen and evil exists. But God does provide us comfort. Our faith is what gets us through. God gives us faith to get through the hard times human life gives us.

Please if you pray, pray for the community to fight for the hospital. If that fails, pray for the nurses, their families and for the patients who are currently affected and those who will be affected in the future. There is no way this does not impact them. Please pray for our entire community and surrounding area communities that use the hospital as well.

Lacey Koopal

Hartland