Somebody else's daughter

She was somebody else's daughter. Someone I never met. But in my mind she will be forever linked to Lily and that summer she was born. If things had been different I would have met her that night Lily was born, but I never got to meet her.

Her name was Holley Wimunc and she was a Mother/Baby nurse at Womack. She died a week before Lily was born. The police say she was a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband. It was an awful story. They found her apartment burned, but she was missing. They found her body over near Jacksonville, NC just outside of Camp Lajeune where her husband was stationed. She was only 24 years old and she left behind two children. She was the 2nd soldier in a month found dead in Fayetteville. The 3rd in the state in 6 months. And we were reeling from it all.

Roger knew her from work and told me she was a bright, joyful person and a wonderful nurse. Her good friend was one of my nurses after I had Lily. Since just about every one of the nurses on the floor stopped by during those two days, I'm sure I would have met her at some point. She was missed by all. A memorial to her was in the sitting room of the Mother/Baby unit. Everyone of the nurses she worked with went to her Memorial Service. Nurses from other floors along with the doctors covered the floor so they could.

So, even though I never met her, in my mind she will be linked to Lily. As Roger and I were getting ready to welcome Lily into the world, Holley's parents were getting ready to say goodbye. As we were bring Lily home for the first time, they were bringing her home for the last time. As we adjusted to life with Lily, they were forced to adjust to life without Holley. My heart continues to go out to her parents for their incredible loss.