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The psychological toll on the family members present at the hospital is immeasurable. To hear a physician speak of a loved one’s impending passing in the same breath as a birth announcement is a trauma that few are prepared to handle. The “Valentine’s Day” timing of the event adds a cruel irony to the situation, as the world outside celebrates romance while the family inside the hospital walls negotiates with fate. Counselors and hospital chaplains have been made available to provide support, helping the relatives navigate the “anticipatory grief” that often accompanies a critical prognosis. Every hour that passes without a further decline in the mother’s condition is viewed as a hard-won victory.
