--- title: "Healthy Baby, Grateful Parent | Sutter Health" description: "The Hafner family shares their story of compassionate care in the Level 3 NICU at Sutter Santa Rosa Hospital." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/kate-bernal-hafner-healthy-baby-grateful-parent-1042868376" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Patient Stories](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories) / 3. Healthy Baby, Grateful Parent # Healthy Baby, Grateful Parent * * * 2021 An emergency C-section turned Kate Bernal-Hafner’s plans upside down. For Marie, her newborn daughter, Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital would serve as home for much longer than Kate had anticipated. Born 10 weeks early after an emergency C-section, Marie weighed just two pounds, 15 ounces. “Her backside could fit inside my hand,” Kate remembers. The hospital moved Marie to its level III neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. There she would get the dedicated 24-hour attention she needed along with access to life-saving equipment and technology. Once housed in the NICU’s isolette (an incubator for infants), Marie received constant monitoring and care from the hospital’s neonatal team until she was fully ready to leave. Kate, too, was often with Marie in the NICU. Through the many difficult days and nights, what truly stood out for Kate about her experience was how deeply the team seemed to understand and offer reassurance. “I remember, one of the nights I was sitting there, a nurse came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder, and she said, ‘It’s not your fault.’ That compassion and empathy, that feeling that gave me… it sets them apart.” Whenever she sees Marie, now a lively, healthy child, Kate recalls her experience, grateful for the hospital’s loving and high-level of care. “To have this high-level NICU right here in Santa Rosa is amazing. It was the care, really, that helped her to grow,” says Kate. “I just can’t thank the generosity of this community enough for what they’ve done to build such an incredible NICU, an incredible team, an amazing Shea House. Thank you will never do it justice.” ## Discover similar stories Choose a service topic below to read more stories like this one. [Pregnancy and childbirth](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories?verticalKey=patient_story&facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_services.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Pregnancy+and+childbirth%22%5D%7D%5D)[Neonatal intensive care (NICU)](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories?verticalKey=patient_story&facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_services.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Neonatal+intensive+care+%28NICU%29%22%5D%7D%5D) ## Support at Every Step From conception to delivery, our pregnancy and childbirth providers put you first. [Book an Appointment](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_providerSpecialties.specialty.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Infertility%22%2C%22Nurse+Midwife%22%2C%22Obstetrics+and+Gynecology%22%2C%22Reproductive+Endocrinology%22%5D%7D%5D&limit=10&verticalKey=healthcare_professionals) ## Related articles [View all articles](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories) - Patient story ### [Baby born with rare condition thrives at Sutter](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/baby-born-with-rare-condition-thrives-at-sutter-2033614396) Parents find support and expert care through Sutter’s Neonatal Special Services after a rare prenatal diagnosis. - Patient story ### [NICU Miracle Times Two: Micro-Preemies Celebrate 40th Birthdays](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/nicu-miracle-times-two-micro-preemies-celebrate-40th-birthdays-2023563929) Jilyn Richmond and Loriellen Byron spent a couple of months together in the first neonatal intensive care unit at Sutter Medical Center. - Patient story ### [Midwives Go Mainstream](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/midwives-go-mainstream-1042868374) A once unconventional birthing choice in the U.S. is growing in popularity. [View all articles](https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories) ## Disclaimer _Each individual’s treatment and/or results may vary based upon circumstances and the healthcare provider’s medical judgment. Testimonials or statements made by any person(s) within this site are not intended to guarantee outcomes or substitute for medical advice._ ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/kate-bernal-hafner-healthy-baby-grateful-parent-1042868376#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Patient Stories","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Healthy Baby, Grateful Parent"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/kate-bernal-hafner-healthy-baby-grateful-parent-1042868376#videoobject","name":"Premature Birth and the NICU: A Santa Rosa Family's Story","inLanguage":"en-US","thumbnailUrl":"https://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/817826402001/b8c48b8e-1c62-4d9a-a048-ad0962eee7ce/10c10540-8530-4b8d-93c2-ba3a7ed9224a/1280x720/match/image.jpg","uploadDate":"2021-07-19T16:47:29.575Z","embedUrl":"https://players.brightcove.net/817826402001/79bcaa57-54d7-453c-9f1f-8ab3ef7b15de/index.html?videoId=6264307900001","description":"The Hafner family shares their story of compassionate care in the Level 3 NICU at Sutter Santa Rosa Hospital.","duration":"PT1M30S","transcript":"KATIE BERNAL-HAFNER: I had an emergency C-section and Marie\nwas born 10 weeks early.\nShe was 2 pounds, 15 and 1/2 ounces.\nHer backside could fit into the palm of my hand.\nIt's hard.\nAnd I remember one of the nights that I was in there,\nI was sitting at the isolette with my hands in there.\nAnd a nurse came up to me and just put her hand\non my shoulder and she said, it's not your fault.\nThat compassion and empathy for others and the healing\nthat that gave me, you know, like it sets them apart.\nTo have this high level of a NICU right here in Santa Rosa\nis amazing.\nIt was the care, really, that helped her to grow.\nShe's full of life.\nShe's very sweet.\nShe runs everywhere.\nI think she loves her little NICU story.\nWithout the donors, my story would\nbe probably very different.\nI just can't thank the generosity of this community\nenough for what they have done to build\nsuch an incredible NICU, an incredible team,\nan amazing Shea house.\nI mean, thank you will never do it justice."} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/kate-bernal-hafner-healthy-baby-grateful-parent-1042868376#article","name":"Healthy Baby, Grateful Parent","headline":"Healthy Baby, Grateful Parent","abstract":"The Hafner family shares their story of compassionate care in the Level 3 NICU at Sutter Santa Rosa Hospital.","description":"The Hafner family shares their story of compassionate care in the Level 3 NICU at Sutter Santa Rosa Hospital.","keywords":["Children's health","Pregnancy","Pregnancy and childbirth","Neonatal intensive care (NICU)","Pregnancy"],"datePublished":"2021-01-01","dateModified":"2026-08-14","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/kate-bernal-hafner-healthy-baby-grateful-parent-1042868376","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/kate-bernal-hafner-healthy-baby-grateful-parent-1042868376","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/kate-bernal-hafner-healthy-baby-grateful-parent-1042868376#breadcrumblist"}},"author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"video":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/kate-bernal-hafner-healthy-baby-grateful-parent-1042868376#videoobject"},"articleBody":"An emergency C-section turned Kate Bernal-Hafner’s plans upside down. For Marie, her newborn daughter, Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital would serve as home for much longer than Kate had anticipated. Born 10 weeks early after an emergency C-section, Marie weighed just two pounds, 15 ounces. “Her backside could fit inside my hand,” Kate remembers. The hospital moved Marie to its level III neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. There she would get the dedicated 24-hour attention she needed along with access to life-saving equipment and technology. Once housed in the NICU’s isolette (an incubator for infants), Marie received constant monitoring and care from the hospital’s neonatal team until she was fully ready to leave. Kate, too, was often with Marie in the NICU. Through the many difficult days and nights, what truly stood out for Kate about her experience was how deeply the team seemed to understand and offer reassurance. “I remember, one of the nights I was sitting there, a nurse came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder, and she said, ‘It’s not your fault.’ That compassion and empathy, that feeling that gave me… it sets them apart.” Whenever she sees Marie, now a lively, healthy child, Kate recalls her experience, grateful for the hospital’s loving and high-level of care. “To have this high-level NICU right here in Santa Rosa is amazing. It was the care, really, that helped her to grow,” says Kate. “I just can’t thank the generosity of this community enough for what they’ve done to build such an incredible NICU, an incredible team, an amazing Shea House. Thank you will never do it justice.”"} ```