Jody Schaaf, NICU Nurse
Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital

“My first interaction with our primary nurse Jody was watching her give our daughter Mary Jo a pacifier for the first time. Born at 28 weeks, Mary Jo’s beet red body screamed as loud as her little lungs would allow; Jody spoke so gently and lovingly as she maneuvered around the medical equipment to place a pacifier in Mary Jo’s mouth. Her tiny body relaxed as she held onto Jody’s hands. “See how it soothes her?” She laughed in amazement. Jody continued, “Look at her eyes trying to peek open!” and “Oh my goodness I see a dimple!” Jody genuinely loved and celebrated our daughter from the moment she met her. This was a gift to our family and gave us more peace in balancing the care of our three young children at home during Mary Jo’s 97 day stay. Jody didn’t just take care of Mary Jo – she took care of us too. She answered our many questions, listened to our fears, and constantly reassured us. In her presence we found ourselves feeling more like you how you would feel around a good friend you’d known for years. During those many hours in the NICU sitting with Mary Jo feeding and holding her, we shared many conversations, laughs, random stories, and heart to hearts. Even on days when Jody was the charge nurse and not directly caring for Mary Jo, she still somehow managed to find time to come by and check on her. Many of these days included her working 16 hour shifts. She never complained and had the same consistent positive energy and always her signature infectious laugh. During the time that we were in the NICU, Jody’s father sadly passed away. We never expected to hear from Jody as she had many things to attend to during that time. However, Jody continued to check on Mary Jo while she was gone from work and grieving the loss of her dad. Although she was not scheduled to work on the day Mary Jo was discharged, as we walked out of the hospital with our daughter, Jody was standing with her family waiting to give Mary Jo a hug goodbye. I still get tears in my eyes any time I think about this or tell the story to someone else. I can’t explain it, but I will try. Picture leaving your very vulnerable 3 pound newborn baby hooked up to all kinds of medical equipment with perfect strangers. It just doesn’t even seem natural. But you really have no choice, and so you just hope and pray that someone will care as much about your baby as you do – you know no one else is their mom so no one can love them like you do. But you just hope and pray they will care. In Jody, I found more than an answer to my prayer. She not only cared for Mary Jo – she really loved her. There isn’t anything more a mother’s heart could want.”

Nominated by Katie Dunne

“Earlier this year, on a Monday morning, I found myself with my daughter in the neonatal intensive care unit at Northwestern Hospital. Mary Jo, barely 3 pounds, was a day old. This was not how we expected things to go. Unfamiliar hospital personnel were coming in and out of Mary Jo’s room that rainy morning; I remember this very clearly. Praying my rosary and staying out of their way seemed to make the most sense. It was at this most uncertain time, while my wife was still recovering from emergency cesarean surgery, that a nurse quietly walked into Mary Jo’s room and introduced herself to me. Her name was Jody Schaff. As I would come to find out with all of the special people who work in the Northwestern NICU, Jody’s commitment to our daughter was unwavering. Mary Jo’s path to recovery began with this hardworking and unassuming nurse from northwest Indiana. Over the course of the next 97 unpredictable days, Jody was at my daughter’s side comforting her like a mother during her most challenging moments. As kind as she was, it was also apparent that Jody’s opinion was sought out regularly by both her peers and the doctors alike. As a father sitting in the NICU watching everything, you have no idea how comforting it was to know we had such a well-respected all-star nurse (coach) taking care of our daughter each day. What I did not expect was how much this nurse ended up taking care of me on this journey too. After my daughter’s admission at the NICU, I convinced myself that I was going to take off work and be at the NICU with Mary Jo until she came home. I floated this idea by Jody and, without hesitation, she encouraged me to return to work and to concentrate on taking care of myself so I would be prepared to take care of Mary Jo when she came home. Spoken with such conviction, she was confident this was the right course and reassured me that she and her colleagues were going to take care of Mary Jo. Being away from Mary Jo for more than five minutes while she was in intensive care was an emotional crossroads for me. Still, this nurse was different and I really trusted her opinion. I, like the doctors I observed daily, followed her direction too and ended up returning to work. With this plan in place, I was still able to be at the hospital daily while still taking care of my responsibilities at work. When Mary Jo did come home, as Jody predicted I was in a much better place to take care of my daughter. As a father with three more children at home, please know that my wife and I quite literally trust Jody with our daughter’s life. Jody has become a member of our family. Please, please strongly consider her for this award. She is so deserving of the Jackson Chance Owl Give Award.”

Nominated by William Dunne