In her own words, Dr. Suzanne Crowe recalls the heart-wrenching moment when her baby girl, Beatrice, took her final breaths, surrounded by her family's embrace.
In her new memoir, Intensive Care, Dr Suzanne Crowe, president of the Irish Medical Council, shares her personal story of loss and the impact it had on her life and career. The book, which opens each chapter with a quotation, includes one from American physician Dr Francis W Peabody: "The secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient."
Dr Crowe's memoir takes a poignant turn as it delves into the story of her daughter, Beatrice, who was born prematurely at 23 weeks in 2011 during a family holiday in France. Beatrice had red hair and was lying in an incubator in a French hospital's neonatal unit. Despite their optimism, Dr Crowe was not aware that things were not turning out as hoped. A doctor once told her that they saw a dark future for Beatrice.
The labor was difficult for Dr Crowe, and after Beatrice's passing, she and her husband held their daughter as she died. In those dark days, using Beatrice's death to make a difference among other families was like a "lifeline" for Dr Crowe. She returned to pediatric intensive care as a way to find meaning in her daughter's life and death.
Dr Crowe found that caring for premature babies, particularly one with red hair born on the same day as Beatrice, was therapeutic in many ways. She believes that kindness in healthcare is incredibly important, especially when looking after children nearing the end of their life. If she cannot help a child live, Dr Crowe believes it is important to give them "a good death."
In the years following Beatrice's death, Dr Crowe wore the loss like a secret. But now, she is ready to share her story publicly. She has become much more comfortable with showing emotion in appropriate ways, moving away from her "traditional" approach of keeping her emotions buttoned up.
Dr Crowe's husband, Barry, died suddenly and unexpectedly in May 2019, and her father died aged 83 last year. Despite these personal losses, Dr Crowe's memoir speaks eloquently about the impact of her patients on her, particularly the loss of her own child.
Dr Crowe initially did not want to be pregnant with Beatrice but later developed excitement and love for her unborn child. Her husband was in Dublin caring for their three other children when the doctor's visit occurred, and he flew to France as soon as he could after Dr Crowe called him.
The search results do not provide information about the name of the man who was in Dublin at the time Dr. Suzanne Crowe gave birth to her daughter Beatrice in France and who divided the family. Dr Crowe's memoir, Intensive Care, is a testament to her resilience and her commitment to making a difference in the lives of her patients, even in the face of personal tragedy.
