“It’s not about moving on; it’s learning to live in light of what we lost.”
Daniela and Alan Kline learned they were expecting twins in early 2023. Daniela was a labor and delivery nurse at the Women’s Health Center at Hillcrest Medical Center (HMC) at the time. She was looking forward to bringing her babies into the world at her workplace, where she was familiar with the staff and processes.
“I loved working here. It was such a special job to bring life into the world,” said Daniela. “I felt known, and I felt like I had purpose.”
At 15 weeks, Daniela’s doctors noticed potential complications with her babies’ development. Nine weeks later, she was hospitalized at HMC. The next week, the couple’s twin boys, Pax and Jude, were born prematurely.
“You feel out of control of the situation,” said Alan, Daniela’s husband. “We felt like we were in good hands but there was nothing we could do. Really scary.”
The SILAS program at HMC provides perinatal palliative care, resources and support to parents going through unthinkable scenarios with their newborns. The SILAS Program was there to offer comfort and provide time for the Klines to mourn their children; Pax passed away an hour after he was born and Jude passed away after nine days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
“I don’t think anyone expects that they’re going to go through something like this,” said Alan. “The fact that there was a team ready to take care of us was so meaningful.”
“I really believe in the team at Hillcrest. I think having gone through an experience where I was the patient when I’m used to being the caregiver was humbling,” said Daniela. “To be on the receiving end of so much care and skill and expertise, it was unmatched. I’m thankful for the dedication the staff puts into their jobs.”
In remembrance of their sons, the Klines donated a massage chair set up in the labor and delivery department, among other equipment. During #PregnancyandInfantLossAwarenessMonth, we thank the Klines for their generous donation that provides comfort to others going through the unimaginable. Their story and kindness help our staff see the impact they have on the lives of patients and their families.
The Klines shared more about their story with News on 6 reporter Ryan Gillan. View the coverage here .