MILWAUKEE — Sara Paddock is your typical 34-year-old mom of four. She loves her family, her kids, and her job. Sixteen years ago, Sara found herself in a tough situation. She was pregnant with her first child at 18 years old.
"It was hard," said Paddock.
She was admitted to St. Francis hospital where she gave birth to her daughter Audrey. But, it was her experience at the hospital that ended up changing her life.
"The nurse I had, I still remember her name, her name was Gina. She was just so kind and helpful and respectful and that was new to me during that pregnancy," said Paddock. "After that experience, I knew I wanted to be a nurse."
Five years and one bachelor's degree later, Sara found herself back at St. Francis hospital, but this time as an employee where she's worked as a special care nursery and postpartum nurse in the labor and delivery unit ever since.
"Some of the same nurses that I remember caring for me (were) training me now," said Paddock. "It was pretty special."
But Sara's life as she knew it would soon come to a sudden halt after Ascension announced it would be closing its labor and delivery unit at St. Francis Hospital for good, giving her and her coworkers one week to find another job just days before Christmas.
"They didn't offer us positions, we were told to apply online," said Paddock. "The pool staff, we don't have full-time employment. We're just as needed, don't get any severance package."
But she says, unfortunately, the closure didn't come as a surprise.
"St. Francis used to be the place to have your babies," said Paddock. "I've watched it slowly, slowly just dwindle."
And as she, along with the surrounding community, plans their future without having these services available any longer, the hope is that somehow, someday, the unit can reopen.
