A Very Grateful Family’s Heartfelt Message

Dear Pamela,

I’ve been wanting to write you this for a long time, but never seemed to find the right words. On Sept. 13, 2012, I gave birth to my micro-preemie daughter when I was 24 weeks’ pregnant, which resulted in her weighing only 1.2 pounds. We named her Gabriella. She and the rest of the medical team at Tripler NICU battled day and night with her treatments. She was diagnosed with chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension, and she underwent a tracheostomy. Our Gabriella passed away Feb. 19, 2013. It has been six months since she passed away — that is about how long I haven’t been able to step foot inside Tripler NICU. As many times as I’ve gone there to try to visit all of our daughter’s wonderful nurse aunties and doctors, I find myself leaving before I can walk that hallway. I didn’t want to just send a bouquet of flowers with a thank-you card; they deserve way more recognition. So I hope they see this and know that I’m not avoiding the visits I had promised. We are so thankful for everything they did for our daughter while she was with us; she and the babies in there were so loved. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will never forget you all, as all the memories we have of our daughter involve each and every single nurse and doctor. We pray Gabriella is a guardian angel to us all!

With grateful hearts,
Tanoa family
Sautia, Malae and Jeraz

Dear Tanoas,

“We shared your letter with our staff and it brought tears to our eyes,” says Ana Allen on behalf of Tripler Army Medical Center NICU. “Gabriella was a beautiful baby girl who was born so tiny, so fragile, and yet, she fought with all of her being to stay with two parents and a brother who cherished her beyond measure. We were all so saddened when she lost her fight. The Tripler Army Medical Center NICU ohana will always remember a beautiful soul and her amazing family. You and your husband visited faithfully, never gave up hope, and Gabriella knew that she was loved by you! The physicians and nurses here in the NICU come to work every day so that we can make a difference in the lives of families. It is heartwarming to receive this letter from you. As you will never forget us, we will never forget you or your precious baby girl. And yes, Gabriella is undoubtedly a guardian angel to each and every one of us!”

Hi Pamela,

I had a surgical procedure done at Pali Momi. I was scared and unsure of what to expect. Dr. Ross Simafranca from Queen’s West POB reassured me that everything would be all right. He is a caring and competent doctor.

APPLAUSE goes out to Dr. Simafranca and all of the OR staff at Pali Momi. They all were caring and very professional at what they do. Surgery went well and recovered beautifully. Thanks, Doc!

Christine Mclaurin
Waianae

Dear Christine,