From NICU to healthcare hero: A Rose baby returns to her roots
In 1992, Christy St. Fort and Todd Brewer were very young — just a couple of years out of high school — when they discovered they were going to have a baby. Early into her second trimester, Christy began experiencing complications. She was told she would be spending the next three months at HCA HealthONE Rose’s antepartum unit.
A fragile beginning
Instead, 11 days into her stay, the care team decided it was necessary to deliver the baby via c-section. Born at 26 weeks into the pregnancy, Shayla Brewer weighed only 1 pound, 11 ounces. She was quickly ushered to the Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at HCA HealthONE Rose, where she spent the next 73 days. The young parents were told she would have to stay until she was at least 4 or 5 pounds.
Her parents couldn’t believe how small Shayla was — “the size of a Snickers bar” — and struggled to find clothes to fit her.
“I bought her first clothing from ToysRUs,” said Todd. “I bought a doll — a Barbie doll — and took the clothing off of it.”
Over the weeks, they learned how to care for their baby in the NICU, a baby they couldn’t even hold because of how delicate she was. “Learning the special ways to feed her, the little tubes, how to burp her, how to clear her lungs,” said Todd.
“The staff never made me feel out of place. They were eager to help … they didn’t skimp or cut back because I was just a young Black man barely making it.”
During the long days in the NICU, they watched many other parents coming and going with their babies. Yet the young parents saw the benefit in this community they found themselves in. Over time, Shayla continued to thrive.
“I remember the first time she opened her eyes,” recalled Christy. “She was in the [incubator] and I still hadn’t been able to touch her. I was sitting next to her and I was singing to her. I will never forget: She opened that one eye. She looked at me and then she just closed it.”
The day came when they were finally able to hold Shayla.
“I felt like I had died and went to heaven,” said Todd. “It was a long haul, but she made it. She’s here. I’m proud of her.”
Full circle moments
Years passed, and Shayla’s early experiences stayed with her. She grew up hearing stories of her birth and her time in the NICU.
“I’ve always had a fascination with the medical field,” she said. “I remember going to doctor appointments and asking a bunch of questions. ‘What is this for? Can I wear your stethoscope? Can I try this?’”
Eventually, she returned to the very place where her life began — not as a patient, but as a caregiver. Today, she works as a medical assistant at The Aurelian Standard, an internal medicine practice at HCA HealthONE Rose. With her calming, comforting personality, she uses her gift to put patients at ease.
Shortly after starting her job, she alerted her mother to a job opening in the hospital’s cafeteria. Christy jumped at the chance. From the very beginning, she told the story of Shayla’s birth to both colleagues and fellow NICU parents.
“I wanted everyone to know how great this hospital is with the sick babies. It’s personal for me. We lived it.”
One day in the cafeteria, Christy met a retired nurse, Jill Nix. In sharing the story of Shayla’s birth, they discovered that Jill had been one of the NICU nurses who tended to the baby. As luck would have it, Shayla happened to enter the cafeteria at that moment and met the woman who helped her in her earliest days, leading to an emotional reunion.
Today, Christy and Shayla walk the halls of HCA HealthONE Rose, not just as colleagues but as living proof of the hospital’s lasting impact.
“It was such a beautiful experience,” Christy said. “The hospital made it as pleasant and good as they could for us. I don’t think there’s another facility I would’ve wanted to be at.”