Southeast Georgia Health System issued the following announcement on Nov. 16.
When Anne-Elizabeth Cluff, a 21-year-old Kansas State University Junior, came down to St. Marys, Georgia, to visit family in her hometown, the last thing she expected was to be admitted as a long-term antepartum maternity patient at the Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus. Thirty-five weeks along in her pregnancy at the time, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, a condition which runs in her family.
“As soon as they realized what was going on, they said I was staying until I delivered,” said Cluff. “So a quick family visit stretched into a long-term stay!”
Cluff’s partner, Kody Lowery, a 24-year-old Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, joined Cluff in St. Marys shortly after she was admitted on Sept. 28. Cluff didn’t have the chance to make a keepsake belly cast before being admitted as an inpatient, so on day 10 of their extended hospital stay, Lowery made the cast for her in their hospital room.
“I’m just so grateful the staff let us do a belly cast during my stay. Not many hospitals would go so far out of their way to make patients feel at home and happy,” says Cluff. She plans to create a mod podge collage of baby photos on the cast and add their baby girl’s hand and footprints where she’s been kicking most—right on her belly button.
A severe asthmatic, Cluff is no stranger to the Camden Campus. She was a patient several times throughout her childhood, but her time in Maternity has been an exceptional experience she’ll never forget thanks to the kind team members caring for her, particularly Leah Rosado, R.N., and Haley Lunsford, R.N.
“Everyone has been so nice and thoughtful,” says Cluff. “Nurse Leah found out how much I love baths and gave me a bath bomb to help me relax. And when Nurse Haley realized I couldn’t reach my toes, she painted my nails!”
After a 13-day hospital stay, Cluff and Lowery finally met their first child, a precious baby girl named Arabella. Born on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, at 7:07 p.m., and weighing in at 5 lbs. 4 oz. and measuring 16.75 inches, baby Arabella is the perfect addition to their little family.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Southeast Georgia Health System
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