“Anhydramnios”: It’s not a word with which Sierra and Hunter Smith were familiar when they first heard it. The Amite couple would learn all about it soon enough, though.
A medical diagnosis, it would be the catalyst for a healthcare journey that would break their hearts. It would also, however, begin the process of putting it back together again, reinforcing their faith in the power of human kindness.
“Every single person we encountered (at St. Tammany Health System) – from the nurses to the support staff – treated us with so much compassion and grace,” said Sierra, whose overwhelming gratitude prompted her to share her family’s story. “They made the hardest experience of our lives feel just a little more bearable because of how deeply they cared.”
The kindness they felt wasn’t just professional, she said. It was personal.
“They took the time to listen, to truly understand what we were going through, and they treated us with such love and tenderness,” she added.
*****
It all started on what should have been a happy day.
Hunter and Sierra, already the parents of a daughter – Kenleigh, now 4 – learned in January 2024 that their little family would be joined by a baby boy.
“We were so eager to meet him, to see his precious face and to watch him grow alongside his sister,” Sierra said. “Everything seemed to be going perfectly.”
Then, three months into her pregnancy, they learned that word: anhydramnios, a condition in which little to no amniotic fluid is present in the mother’s womb. Her care team, led by obstetrician Dr. Daniel Mokry, was compassionate but straight-forward. The prognosis was dire.
“In that moment,” Sierra said, “it felt like the ground fell out from under us.”
Even if she somehow beat the odds and carried Reid full-term, the chances of him surviving were heart-wrenchingly low. So, they did the one thing they felt they could.
“We prayed – our family prayed, our community prayed – for a miracle,” Sierra said. “And while we didn’t get the outcome we had hoped for, what we did receive was an overwhelming outpouring of love and care from the staff at St. Tammany. They walked with us through every single moment, never leaving our side, and making sure we knew that we were never alone.”
*****
His name was Reid Thomas Smith, and he was born at St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s New Family Center on July 6, 2024. He died the same day. And although Sierra and Hunter did their best to prepare for that eventuality, they learned there really is no way for parents to prepare for such a loss.
Fortunately, their care team was.
“What stands out to me the most is how incredibly thoughtful and prepared they were for every single step,” Sierra said. “They thought of things we never would have imagined, ensuring we had all the support we needed, both emotionally and practically.”
They shared bereavement resources. They helped collect keepsakes, like Reid’s handprints and footprints. They made sure Hunter and Sierra had the time and space to say goodbye to him.
Sierra sees STHS nurse Kristi Lamarque-Bordelon as more than a nurse; she became a friend. “We say she’s an angel sent from heaven,” Sierra said.
There were others, too. In addition to Kristi and Dr. Mokry, Dr. Kristine Chimento also helped carry the weight. So did nurses including Hillary Bryson, Kendra Caughman, Winnie Hernandez, Kaitlin Kellar, Lindsey Mongrue and Alyssa Soto. The list goes on.
“St. Tammany Health System didn’t just care for me physically,” Sierra said. “They cared for our hearts, our souls and our family. They provided a safe space filled with love during our most painful time. We are eternally grateful for the peace they brought us when it seemed impossible to find any.
“They will forever be a part of our story, a place where our family has experienced both the joy of life and the heartache of loss. We couldn’t have asked for a more loving and caring team to stand by our side through it all.”