It’s all in the [¼â½ÐÊÓƵ] Family.
The short story is that little Mikey Ralabate came into this world last July, to the utter joy of his first-time parents and first-time grandparents.
The longer story is one of serendipity and kismet, and a lesson in how ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ connections continue to thrive long after those pivotal four years on campus.
To begin: A scholarship brought Jenna LoGiudice ’06 to ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ, where she initially planned to be on a pre-med track. “I quickly realized nursing was a better fit for my goals. Luckily, in those days I was able to transfer into nursing, which I found that I loved,” she recalls.
In her second year, she ended up in an anatomy and physiology class taught by Christine Earls ‘79, and valued her hands-on teaching style. Plus, she felt a connection with this professor. “Even in my junior and senior years, Chris would always ask about my journey through nursing. I felt very cared for, and wanted to return that to others.”
LoGiudice went on to earn her master’s from Yale, PhD from UConn, and specialize in midwifery, then return to ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ in 2013 to helm a new program in the field. And as luck would have it, one of her first students was Earls’ daughter, Julie Earls ’15.
“I know I called her ‘Chris’ a couple of times,” Dr. LoGiudice laughs.
Julie was inspired to go into nursing after witnessing the compassionate care her mother received years earlier after a cancer diagnosis. Not surprisingly, ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University was her first choice. Besides the fact that her mom was on the faculty, “I remember visiting my grandfather (the legendary and beloved biology professor Dr. Donald Ross) on campus, and feeling part of the ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ family even as a kid,” she says.
Julie went on to earn a DNP as a family nurse practitioner and to marry Mike Ralabate, with whom she reconnected after high school. In the summer of 2023, she was due with their first child and was being induced at Yale New Haven hospital. That’s when she found out that Dr. LoGiudice was on the next rotation to attend her. Her first phone call was to her mom.
“From her hospital bed at Yale, Julie called and gushed, ‘Jenna’s on duty and she’s my nurse midwife!’” Earls remembers.
Despite Dr. LoGiudice’s love of academia, she felt she needed to keep practicing, and several years ago decided to work per diem at Yale as a certified nurse midwife (CNM). “It’s totally fueled me,” she admits. When she looked at the schedule on that July day and saw Julie’s name, she was thrilled. On day four, the duo delivered five pound, 11 ounce Michael Richard Ralabate.
“There are so many unknowns with being induced, but I knew I was in good hands with Jenna there and knowing how kind and knowledgeable she is,” says Julie. “I’m so appreciative of the fact that the whole experience was so positive.”
Looking back, Dr. LoGiudice notes, “we talked a lot about her mom, her family. It felt very holistic and connected. Later that afternoon, Chris came in and we all took pictures together. It was a beautiful moment and so special that we all know one another.
“Birth is one of the most important learning opportunities in a person’s life, and it was so impactful to be a part of that moment with someone I knew so well,” Dr. LoGiudice continues. “Overall, I think Chris said it best when she noted that years ago she taught me the foundational information that I then needed to support and care for her daughter.”
