LIFESTYLE
YOUR Health & Wellness
Crocheting
HOPE WEAVING STORIES OF HOPE IN WMC’S OBSTETRICS DEPARTMENT
WITH WILLIAMSON MEDICAL CENTER
For more than fifty years, area resident Janet Weidner has been crocheting blankets, crafts, baby booties and outfits. If you can think of it, Janet can crochet it. But, about a year ago, the lifetime hobby became something more. As the crafter behind the themed crocheted baby outfits featured in Williamson Medical Center’s (WMC) baby photos each month, Janet is proud to play a small role in celebrating the hospital that means so much to her. Starting the Chain Janet first started crocheting to regain dexterity in her hand following a surgery. When Janet was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago while living in Florida, crocheting became the thread that held her together. During chemo, Janet, armed with a crochet hook and yarn, would create lap blankets for her fellow patients. “My breast cancer was pretty rough,” Janet recalled. “During that year of chemo, crocheting is really what kept me going. I couldn’t do that much, so I would crochet.” Closing the Loop A few years ago, after her battle with cancer, Janet and her husband retired and moved to middle Tennessee to be closer to their son and daughter-in-law who live in Williamson County. That is when Janet’s path first crossed with Williamson Medical Center and nurse/ photographer, Kristie Lloyd. “I went through my cancer, and I was just determined that I was not going to give up,” 18 | FALL 2022
Janet said. “I just knew I had more things in life to do— and I’ve had three more grandkids since the cancer, including Charlotte, my miracle granddaughter born at Williamson Medical.” Charlotte was born early after a high-risk pregnancy, which the Williamson Medical Center staff helped the family navigate. Kristie Lloyd, who takes the monthly photos of the Williamson Medical Center babies, also formerly worked part-time as a labor and delivery nurse at the hospital and was on duty assisting the delivery team when Charlotte’s birth became an emergency. Janet is grateful for the hospital staff’s quick actions and compassionate care that resulted in Charlotte’s safe delivery. In addition to being a nurse, Kristie has a photography business and took the newborn photos of Janet’s granddaughter, Charlotte. “When I was approached about making baby outfits and realized it was for Williamson Medical Center, that made it so much better,” Janet said. “Then I realized Kristie was taking the photos. It’s not a coincidence; it’s a God thing.” Julie Benavides, a labor and delivery nurse at WMC, said Janet’s family’s experience reflects Williamson Medical Center’s caring, relational approach to patients and their families.
“What sets us apart is our attention to detail,” Julie said. “We customize our care to each patient, and we really focus on getting to know our patients and building a relationship with them.” Williamson Medical Center’s awarding-winning obstetrics (OB) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) offer exceptional labor and delivery services close to home. “Our goal is a healthy mom and a healthy baby,” Julie said, noting that the medical professionals and staff work to build a personalized plan of care for each prospective mother and family, allowing for natural childbirth options, doulas and more, in the delivery room. The hospital and OB staff are also well-equipped to handle births that don’t exactly follow the plan, like Charlotte’s, accommodating C-sections and more. “It’s so special to be with the parent in that most intimate moment in their life,” Julie said. “I love seeing their faces when they hear that first cry, and I never take it for granted. At Williamson Medical Center, we’re like a family.”