Welcoming Baby Eli: A Moment of Care and Culture

On May 5, Red Dress Day - a day of remembrance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) - two staff members at the High Prairie Health Complex, Isabelle Giroux, transition coordinator and mother of two Indigenous children, and Laura Tomkins, clinical nurse educator and a proud Indigenous nurse, were called to assist with an urgent delivery.

Though the High Prairie Health Complex is not a designated birthing site, an imminent delivery required experienced hands.

Both Giroux and Tomkins, seasoned RNs, stepped in to support the physician.

Dressed in their ribbon skirts, already being worn in honour of MMIWG, they helped bring Eli King, an Indigenous baby into the world, in a powerful and deeply symbolic moment.

“It was a lot, but such a relief to have him born,” said Carmen Bigcharles, Eli’s mother. “I’m really glad the nurses were there. They kept me calm and kept me breathing. And looking back, it was cool for them to be wearing their ribbon skirts. It was a good experience, and I was so happy to see him when he was born.”

This experience is a moving reminder of how care, culture, and reconciliation can come together in meaningful ways.

Join us in celebrating the arrival of baby Eli, born on May 5 and weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces!