Dear Dr. Brotman and Mr. Katz,

I gave birth to my son, Oskar Mason, at St. Lukes hospital on January 28, 2006 with the help of Homestyle Midwifery and Nr. Laura Norell. I carefully chose St. Lukes for the unique kind of care offered through St. Lukes and Homestyle. I was well attended to and my desire for a low/no intervention birth centered around my and my baby's needs were met with excellence and grace. I had a wonderful experience at St. Lukes. After taking his first breath, my son stopped breathing and was rushed to the NICU. There he received the most amazing and special care from the NICU nurses led by Dr. Roth. I was able to stay in the hospital with him -- only about 100 feet away -- for the five days he was in the NICU. As a result, we were able to bond and I was able to begin breastfeeding almost immediately. I know from familial experience, that if he had had to be taken to another facility, it would have been traumatic. My sister in law gave birth six months later at a Sutter birthing facility in Santa Cruz with no NICU. Her son had to be taken to another hospital and because of her condition after the birth, she wasn't able to see him for five full days. It was very traumatic for her and her baby. I would not consider giving birth in a hospital without a NICU for that reason. Please protect the unique and high quality care St. Lukes was able to offer my family by keeping the NICU open. The city will not be the same without it.

Sincerely,Rhys Mason