July 2026

My name is Rachel Totaram and my husband’s name is Ryan. We wanted to share our story and give a shoutout to the QEH NICU team for the incredible care that we received.

In November 2024, we travelled from Ontario to P.E.I. to celebrate my great-grandmother’s 100th birthday on November 24th. Most of my mom’s side of the family still lives there, where she was born, so it was meant to be a very special family trip.

Shortly after landing on November 22, 2024, I knew something wasn’t right. We were staying at the Rodd Charlottetown and headed to QEH, where the OB checked me and told me I was already 8 cm dilated — at only 34 weeks pregnant. Ten hours later, our daughter Aubrey was born on November 23, 2024

Aubrey spent 12 days in the NICU at QEH before we were finally able to fly home with her. Although the entire experience was unexpected, overwhelming, and chaotic, the care we received was absolutely incredible.

Today, Aubrey is 19 months old and thriving. She is curious, loves exploring, and has no shortage of opinions. She is fearless, stubborn, and determined, but she also loves her cuddles and her big brother. She keeps us laughing every day with her funny expressions and big personality.

Looking at her now, it’s hard to imagine those first uncertain days in the NICU. We are reminded every day how fortunate we were to have such an amazing team caring for her during those early days. Watching her grow from a tiny 34-week preemie into the happy, strong-willed little girl she is today has been nothing short of incredible.

Every single nurse and member of the NICU team made such a difficult time feel manageable, and my husband and I still talk about them often. As Advanced Care Paramedics in Ontario, we had a lot of questions, and the staff answered every one with patience, kindness, and compassion.

We especially want to give a huge shoutout to Amanda, the travel nurse from Ontario who cared for Aubrey for the majority of our stay. Her kindness and support meant so much to us during one of the most stressful times of our lives. We also want to thank Nurse Practitioner Ellen for always taking the time to answer our endless questions, and Kate M for making the sweetest signs for Aubrey’s memory box that we will treasure forever. The Social Worker Julie also went above and beyond for us and we are both forever grateful for her.

Thank you to the entire NICU team at QEH for taking such amazing care of our daughter and our family. We will never forget the compassion you showed us during such an important chapter of our lives.