When Brooke Eitel, a nursing student at Union Adventist University, walked into the AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Birth Center for her first day as a nurse intern, she had no idea the day would mark the beginning of a heartwarming, full-circle moment. As she was shadowing Jamie DeLong, a labor and delivery registered nurse, the two began talking about where they were from.
Quickly, the two realized they had met before, almost two decades ago when DeLong assisted bringing Eitel into this world when Eitel’s mother, Millie Eitel, gave birth to her.
Throughout the years, DeLong stayed in touch with Millie, who also works at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission as a nurse and the director of emergency services for AdventHealth Prairie Star and AdventHealth College Boulevard.
“I always felt connected to Millie since she worked at AdventHealth,” DeLong shared.
“I continued to ask how her daughter was doing, but never imagined I would have her shadowing me in my unit.”
They both were in shock when they made the realization of who they were to each other. Immediately, they took a photo to send to Eitel’s mom.
Both commented that the AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Birth Center felt like home, even more now since they have discovered this unique connection. Each describes the clinical staff of the Birth Center as a close-knit team known for exceptional and compassionate care; it is the home of miracles and the beginning of lifelong memories.
“AdventHealth Shawnee Mission has brought me friendships and amazing memories such as this,” DeLong said.
“I’ve been here for 25 years and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
It excites me to think that someone like Brooke is inspired and determined to come back here to our Birth Center [when she graduates].”
Shadowing DeLong has been a transformative experience for Eitel.
“Jamie is everything I aspire to be as a nurse,” Eitel said.
“Her mentorship extends beyond clinical skills; she embodies compassion and dedication. Also, knowing she was there for my first moments in this world and now I have the opportunity to have her guide me as I start my career, it’s truly a full-circle moment.”
Eitel had the opportunity to do a rotation with Labor and Delivery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and shared that it’s amazing watching the meticulous attention to detail around patient care and learning the nuances of hospital operations.
As Eitel closes her internship, she does so with a sense of purpose and destiny. She feels as if she has a calling to follow the footsteps of a nurse who helped her and her mother on the first day of her life, to now assisting her on her first steps into a nursing career. Both commented on how it was “meant to be,” and that their journeys were destined to collide. It is a testament to the bonds that are created behind the doors at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission’s Birth Center.
“I feel honored knowing that she is inspired by me,” DeLong said.
I simply wish her nothing but love and luck as she ventures onto her own nursing journey.”
