"Warmth " by Simran T

     As an Intern on the Pediatric floor, I saw a lot of things, things that made me happy but also things that saddened me to the point where it would affect my whole day. One specific instance still resides deep in my heart, however, and this incident helped me realize that, although the hospital is a place of pain and sadness, it is also a place of healing, happiness and warmth.
     I was roaming the halls, doing my usual rounds. It was cold, the eerie hospitable type of cold that rattles your bones. I wasn’t having a very good day and was just patiently eyeing the clock to see when I would be able to go home. Then, a low cry started filling the halls, I rushed to the source of the sound and my heart dropped. A two day old baby girl lay in her hospital crib wailing. I notified the nurse and asked where her family was. The nurse looked at me and said, “Honey, brace yourself because I am about to tell you one sad story.” I braced myself, and listened as the words came pouring out of her.
     In short, the baby’s mother was a severe drug addict. So severe, that the baby was born an addict herself. A two day old, innocent baby was addicted to a lethal drug. The nurse then continued about how the mother didn't even realize that she had given birth and how the baby has no family to be with her. The mother herself was in the ICU in critical condition due to her drug abuse. The nurse looked at me and said, “Can you do me a favor? That baby needs warmth, she needs human contact to calm down and rest.” I was nervous but I said that it would be my pleasure. I walked into the room, sanitized, and sat down in the rocking chair. The nurse unhooked the baby from the tal machines around her and set her into my arms. She instantly stopped crying and lay there in silence. I rocked her back and forth and made sure she was warm, that she felt warmth from my touch. Then, me being the emotional girl I am, I started crying uncontrollably. She was just so small and so sweet and I felt this wave of pain because I didn’t know i she was going to have the life she deserved. I didn’t know if she was going to be okay or if she was going to be mistreated. I suddenly felt responsible for her and was overwhelmed by this weight I felt deep in my chest. I cried for about an hour and then calmed down. I decided to instead enjoy the moment and pray that she would be happy, that she would be loved and taken care of.
     My time with her had come to an end because my shift was about to end. I reluctantly rose up an placed her little sleeping body back into her crib. She looked as if she was finally at peace, finally warm and content. Thankfully, as soon as I set her back, a lady walked through the door. She was beautiful and young, probably about early 30’s. She seemed nervous but excited at the same time. She turned out to be the sister of the baby’s mother. I was relieved beyond words that this little girl would have someone to comfort her, someone to hold her like she deserved to be held. The baby’s aunt told me she was grateful for me and that she would take custody of the baby if the mother does not proceed with rehab for her drug abuse. I was relieved at this turn of events and left the room at ease because I knew this baby would be okay.
     I want to be a Pediatrician, and this experience taught me that although there is so much wrong that goes on within the hospital walls, there is room for good, too. There is room for beauty and for love and warmth. I had the beautiful opportunity to be a blessing to this sweet

little girl who just needed the warmth of another human being. Not only did I impact her, but she impacted me. She taught me that I have the power to do some good, however big, however small the act may be. I have power to impact the lives of others and I should never stop searching for moments in which I can help someone out. This small baby girl clarified my dreams of becoming a Pediatrician and I wish I could tell her how much she has impacted my life since I got the privilege to be there for her.