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42 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, December 30, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 22, 2004 Barbara Roberts RVMC holds candlelight vigil for a well-respected member of its own family By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune On the longest night of the year, candles burned in Medford to honor a nurse who has touched the lives of families across Southern Oregon. Barbara Roberts of Central Point lay in the critical care unit Tuesday at Rogue Valley Medical Center while her colleagues and friends gathered at the hospital to pray for her, light candles, and recall her work with premature infants. Roberts, 44, was hospitalized Friday after her heart stopped beating. She has been a nurse in RVMC’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 10 years. Colleagues said her compassion for premature infants and her confident, outgoing way with parents made her well-loved. "Parents always love Barb," said Terry Russell, another NICU nurse. "They always come back to show her their babies." Advertisement Roberts organized a huge garage sale in February to raise money for three RVMC nurses whose families were struggling to pay medical bills. Roberts arranged for several dozen people to collect toys, furniture, appliances, kitchenware and clothing and bring it to the Medford Moose lodge. Proceeds from the sale were split equally among the three families. "If you had a need and she knew about it, she’d try to fix it," Russell said. "She’s helped hundreds of families and babies," said her husband, Steve Switzer. "We can’t go to dinner without running into a family she knows who had a kid in NICU." Roberts holds a master’s degree in nursing, and she worked for several years with Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service. She delivered more than 500 babies in remote areas of Australia before coming to Southern Oregon about 10 years ago with her daughter, Elena. She found work at RVMC, where she managed the NICU for several years before returning to direct patient care. "She makes you feel like everything’s going to be OK," said Stephanie Atkinson. Atkinson met Roberts in December 2002, when her son, Perry, was born during her 24th week of pregnancy. "She makes you feel like everything’s going to be all right. "She helped me be at ease," Atkinson said, "and she gave me confidence that I could be a mom to this baby I couldn’t even hold." Roberts was a surfer in her youth and earned a surfing scholarship at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She also raced bicycles. She had previously been treated for cardiomyopathy, an inflammation of the heart muscle that can cause poor cardiac function. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Citibank Student Loans Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems