Born at just 24 weeks gestation, Ryder faced significant health challenges from the very first breath he took. His parents, Rachel and Kevin, endured setback after setback as they tried to bring their son home. After 687 days in the hospital and a rehabilitation facility, Ryder finally came home with his team of Aveanna nurses.
As excited as Rachel and Kevin were to have their son at home with them, they were skeptical about having nurses there as well. “When you first come home from the hospital,” Rachel explains, “you don’t want to trust someone else with your baby. He’s had other people caring for him for so long. You just want to take care of him yourself. It was hard at first for me to let the nurses do anything.”
Despite her initial hesitancy to let anyone else care for Ryder, Rachel began to appreciate the help his nurses provided. “I eventually learned to let the nurses do their job,” Rachel recalls. “And when I did, I realized it helped me be better for Ryder. I could take the time I needed to rest, do laundry, run errands, and do all the other things I need to for my family.”
Ryder’s nurses answer Rachel’s questions about his care, support her in keeping him healthy, and give her the opportunity to just be a mom. It took some time, but now Rachel sees what a gift that is. “It takes a while to adjust to having a nurse in your home,” Rachel admits. “But soon enough they’ll feel like family. When you finally realize how much you need the help, it’s important to have nurses you can rely on. I am so grateful we’ve had Ryder’s Aveanna nurses there for us all along the way.”