Dr. Cheryl Kish wins ‘Humanitarian of the Year’

An experience with a dying baby and his parents in the maternity ward changed nurse Cheryl Kish’s life in 1971.

Now some 31 years later, she was honored for her devotion to parents who have lost a child in pregnancy or childbirth.

Kish, associate dean of the School of Health Sciences, received 13 WMAZ’s “Humanitarian of the Year” award for her work in the “Resolve Through Sharing Support Group of Central Georgia.” This group, which she founded in 1989, supports families who have experienced a loss due to a pregnancy or childbirth.

She received the award at the sixth annual “From the Heart Community Service Awards” Oct. 19 at the Macon Centreplex.

The award recognizes outstanding volunteerism in Central Georgia and is sponsored by 13 WMAZ-TV, BB&T and the Central Georgia Toyota Dealers. The presentation will be taped and aired on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. on 13WMAZ.

“I feel extremely honored that my volunteer work is being recognized in this way. I never expected an award for something I feel drawn to do,” she said. “My goal has been to try to make a difference for this group of families experiencing the great pain of losing a baby, and to try to help them find resolution of their grief..”

Kish founded “Resolve Through Sharing Parent Support Group of Central Georgia” 13 years ago. This group supports families who have lost a child in pregnancy or childbirth. Dr. Frankie Holder, retired assistant dean of Health Sciences at Georgia College & State University, is a co-founder of the group.

Kish said she founded the group after an experience as an obstetrics charge nurse in 1971.

“I had the responsibility of taking a deformed newborn baby to visit his
mother and father. This was before fathers were in the delivery room for childbirth and when mothers were still being given sedative drugs for labor. This child was going to be transferred later that evening to a specialty children’s hospital and the doctor wanted the parents to see clearly how critical the situation was–the child was not expected to survive. I remember sitting on the mother’s bedside holding the newborn on a pillow in her lap, letting her talk to him and touch him in preparation for their being separated. I showed them the deformity and provided explanations insofar as I could. I mostly let them talk and I listened intently. I had seen many women cry in my lifetime but had probably never seen an adult male cry until this daddy began to cry with his wife, realizing that their tiny son was not likely to survive more than a few days,” Kish said.

Kish said she felt patients’ pain of giving up a baby.

“I had been taught in nursing school that nurses always remained
professional and did not show emotion in front of patients and families, but I could not control the quiet tears that slipped down my cheeks as I listened to these young parents essentially saying ‘goodbye’ to their baby. Weeks later, I had a note from them saying that their son had died and thanking me for being the only nurse who cried with them in their loss,” Kish said.

After this experience, doctors asked Kish to talk to families about their loss. Years later, Kish took graduate courses to become nationally certified as a counselor of parents. She started the support group in 1989.

Sherry Waldorf, a member of the group for eight years, nominated Kish for the award. Waldorf became involved after her daughter died.

“Eight years ago on a cool autumn day, I gave birth to a stillborn daughter,” she wrote in her nomination letter. “The experience devastated our lives and changed our outlook on life forever. I asked myself has anyone felt like this before.”

Waldorf found the support group and attended the first of many meetings with her husband.

“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” she wrote. “The group members shared very similar experiences, and Cheryl Kish, our group founder and leader, seemed to know how I felt. She very quickly explained that she has never had this type of loss and could only imagine how we felt, but she seemed to have an insight that no one else I talked to had. She knew what I needed to hear.”

The group meets once a month at the Coliseum Medical Center in Macon.

“It was almost hard to believe that someone who I had never met before this experience could be so caring and giving,” Waldorf said. “The group made a difference in my life.”

Waldorf wrote in her nomination letter how much time Kish devoted to this group.

“I began to wonder how much she got paid for this job. Surely someone would not open themselves so deeply without some compensation. I found out later that her only reward was the gratitude of those she helped,” Waldorf said.

Waldorf now has two children and is a co-leader of Resolve Through Sharing.

“I want to help other grieving parents like Cheryl has helped me by listening, following up, sharing my writing and making myself available for them,” Waldorf said.

The winner of the From the Heart Community Service Award will receive $500 and 13 WMAZ, BB&T and Central Georgia Toyota Dealers will give a $130 donation to the non-profit organization of each winner’s choice. There were 56 nominations submitted for this year’s award

“When Cheryl was told that she would be honored with this award her first comment was that she did not deserve it. She doesn’t know that what she does is extraordinary. It’s just her nature to help people,” Waldorf said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 25 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry