You would think after working at Beebe Healthcare for more than three years, I would have driven to the right entrance. Those are the stories you tell and laugh about after your first child is born.

After I finished parking and sprinted back to Beebe’s main entrance at the Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus, the wife I had left there in labor was nowhere to be seen. My wife Danielle had been whisked away to the emergency department registration because when there is a baby coming – it’s a bit of an emergency.

Once we were checked in and upstairs, our experience of excellent care had begun. For every Friday in the last three and a half years as public relations content coordinator – give or take a few vacations – I’ve read and edited these Celebrate Excellent Care stories about our amazing team members at Beebe.

There has always been a sense of gratitude and pride in the care that Beebe provides for Sussex County. It’s part of the reason I love working at Beebe, but nothing compares to experiencing it firsthand when it is your own loved ones. And while I might be writing “we,” this letter of thanks and appreciation is focused on the care Danielle and our son received from the renowned labor & delivery team.

Mariah Little, RN, was our nurse for the day. She was just the calming and reassuring influence we needed. She was there when we arrived between 8 and 9 a.m., and when Owen Jamison arrived around 6:30 p.m. Mariah never hesitated to answer all of my questions as I watched our baby’s heartbeat nonstop. Thank you, Mariah. Thanks also to Angela Caswell-Monack, DO, for reminding me to call out it was a boy – my one job.

The entire care team was great. There isn’t enough room to write all of our appreciation. It would be difficult to name everyone, but special thanks go to Anna Merrick; Kayla Harmon, RN; Keli-Lynn Jordan, CNA; Tyler Eddy, RN; Julie Oswald, RN; Bridget Buckaloo, RN; and our friend Christina Ornstein, RN, who delivered Starbucks on the morning after. Thank you to my amazing team members who had planned a Baby Marshall celebration that day. Sorry I couldn’t make it. Corrin Jones was able to drop off the adorable For Immediate Release onesie (pictured) and some much-needed Dunkin coffee on day three.

Dr. Caswell-Monack, the chair of Beebe’s OB/GYN Department, and the Women’s Wellness team were so supportive all throughout Danielle’s pregnancy and labor.

As a Beebe team member, I’m also thankful for the support of the community. The funds raised by the Beebe Medical Foundation often help make these stories of excellent care a reality along with supporting our amazing colleagues who provide the best healthcare in Sussex County.

Every year, Beebe Healthcare’s Holiday of Life program raises money for the Women’s Health and Oncology departments at Beebe. Donations are made in honor or memory of a loved one whose name is then placed on a star that will hang on one of the Holiday of Life trees across Beebe’s many campuses.

I’ll be donating a star this year to recognize my son, the most memorable day of our family’s life and the care we received. I hope you consider it, too.

To donate in honor or memory of a loved one for Holiday of Life, visit beebehealthcare.org/HOL.

As a community-based, not-for-profit healthcare system, Beebe Healthcare depends on the generous support of the community it serves. To make a gift to celebrate the excellent care you or a loved one has received, please visit Beebe Medical Foundation at beebemedicalfoundation.org or call 302-644-2900. Want to share your story? Contact Amanda Neal at aneal@beebehealthcare.org.