Parents Ask NICU Nurse to be Godmother

The parents of a baby boy who spent 6 months in NICU ask his nurse to become his godmother. Neonatal nurse Carly Miller held back tears when the thankful parents asked and said she feels honored that she will get to be a part of Conrad’s life for years to come. Miller bonded with baby Conrad and his parents, Austyn Evans and Branden Williams, during one of the most challenging times in their lives.

Evans had to deliver Baby Conrad at 35 weeks when doctors told her his heart rate was dropping. They were transferred from Florida to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for Conrad’s care where they did not have any local support. Baby Conrad was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit right after he was born where he met NICU nurse Carly Miller for the first time. For his first five days in the NICU, Miller worked closely with Conrad for “continuity of care.”

Conrad had kidney problems and serious breathing difficulties that required a ventilator. For the first 37 days, Evans and her husband, Branden Williams, could not hold Conrad as he relied on machines to help him become stable and grow. Miller often provided Evans with updates and celebrated with them when they were finally able to hold him for the first time. When doctors planned to move Conrad to another pod so he could start continuous renal replacement therapy, Evans asked if Miller might be able to move to be with Conrad.

At first Miller hesitated because of her lack of experience; this type of dialysis machine was being used for the very first time with the hospital’s NICU patients. Doctors worried that Conrad wouldn’t be able to handle the treatment. While a little wary, Miller agreed to stick with Conrad.
Evans said throughout Conrad’s hospital stay, if the family had questions that Miller didn’t know how to answer, she’d track down the information they needed. Miller’s steady presence at so many crucial moments, such as when Evans first held Conrad, created a bond between the family and the nurse.

When Conrad was leaving the hospital after six months, Evans felt the urge to ask Miller to be his godmother — but she panicked and didn’t ask. “We kept everything as professional as we could in the NICU but just the conversations we had sitting in his hospital room or the victories that we celebrated and we cried over together were really important to me,” Evans said. “Thinking about leaving that place and having to never see Carly again was heart-wrenching.”

Evans invited Miller to come visit and presented her with flowers and a note from Conrad asking her whether she would be his godmother. Before Miller finished reading, she said, “Yes,” much to Evans’ delight. Miller said she feels honored that she will get to be a part of Conrad’s life for years to come.