Grateful Patient Says Thank You By "Giving a Piece of My Peace"

Flower deliveries are an everyday occurrence at our hospital, but the delivery from the Byrley family was unlike any other. While patients are usually the ones receiving flowers, these were for our associates, and with nearly three dozen bouquets, they filled a sedan.

Monica Byrley explained she and her husband, Al, just wanted to brighten the day for our ICU staff and make sure they knew what a difference they make.

“I wouldn’t be here today, and my son would not have his mommy if it wasn’t for the amazing people who work on this unit,” Monica wrote in a card accompanying the take-home bouquets for nurses, techs, physicians, and Environmental Services associates.

Monica was a patient in the ICU in February 2023 following the birth of her son, the couple’s first child.

The baby was healthy and so was Monica when they were discharged home from our Birthing Center, but later that day, Monica started having trouble breathing. The next morning, it was worse, and she was experiencing “gurgling breaths.” Dr. Jillian Babu, an     OB/GYN from our Canandaigua Medical Group, told her to go immediately to the Emergency Department.

Although Monica’s blood pressure was not high when she arrived, the ED team determined her kidneys were failing and her lungs were full of fluid.

“I was dying,” she said. “Dr. Babu swooped in and said, ‘I know exactly what this is, and you need to be in the ICU right now.”

It was a rare condition called postpartum preeclampsia, and in Monica’s case, it meant almost a week of intensive care with a team of specialists making sure she made a full recovery.

“I felt so well taken care of,” she said. “I knew I was receiving the best care possible.”

She and Al also knew they wanted to express their gratitude. With a nine-acre homestead in Honeoye, the couple didn’t have to look far for inspiration. As an alumni ambassador for a nonprofit called The Growing Kindness Project, Monica tends a 7,000-square-foot flower and vegetable garden.

“It really is a place of healing and peace for me,” Monica said. “So sharing it is like giving a piece of my peace to other people.”

Heather Rickett, director of the F.F. Thompson Foundation, worked with the Byrleys in facilitating the special delivery.

“Our staff was so grateful for their thoughtful and generous gesture,” she said. “These individuals work so hard, and seeing their faces light up when Monica walked in was priceless.”