Before
Before the headlines,
Before the ethics controversy,
Before the postmortem C-section,
Before the machines,
Before the denial of choice,
Before the declaration of death,
Before the lack of CT or MRI,
Before the medical emergency –
Adriana
Was a beautiful woman,
A compassionate nurse,
A strong Black figure in her community.
She was a person worthy of love and care –
Before the lack of treatment,
Before the blinding stereotypes.
She was a mother.
She was a daughter.
She was a partner.
Don’t forget how it all began –
How it all ended.
How we held her trust in our care.
How we let her down.
What was missed.
What was assumed.
We failed to see her.
We failed to see her pain.
Her pain – diluted, dismissed, and disregarded.
Don’t forget
How we failed her.
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