Nurse Saves Stillborn Baby, Becomes Family 52 Years Later

When Cheryl Flynn went into labor at only five months pregnant in September 1972, doctors prepared her for the worst. Her daughter Carole arrived lifeless, weighing just one pound, eleven ounces.

But June Lejeunesse, a nurse at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, refused to accept that outcome. She attempted something she'd never tried before: resuscitating a stillborn baby.

"I resuscitated her and when the doctor came in, I said, she's breathing, and he said, she is," June recalled. Against all odds, tiny Carole Flynn began to breathe.

The miraculous delivery made the local Worcester newspaper. When June saw the article, she reached out to the Flynn family, sparking a connection that would last a lifetime.

June became Carole's godmother, and their bond never wavered. Through visits, postcards, cross-country moves and retirement, the families stayed intertwined.

Now 95 and living in a nursing home, June receives weekly visits from Carole and Cheryl. The gratitude flows both ways: "When I came to the nursing home, they took over and took care of me," June said.

Sunny's Take

Carole gets emotional every time she thinks about that September day in 1972. "I always just know I'm loved. There's nothing better than that," she said.

June's courage inspired Carole to follow in her footsteps. This October marks her 10th year working at UMass Memorial, the same hospital system where June saved her life.

For Cheryl, the story carries special meaning as Massachusetts faces a nursing shortage. Her family's journey proves that nurses can become far more than caregivers.

"Nurses are like angels sent down from God to take care of us," Cheryl said—a truth her family has lived for 52 years and counting.