Cynthia Amarales stood in the doorway of the military treatment facility conference room where she works in Honolulu, Hawaii, 36 weeks pregnant and certain she was about to receive some kind of workplace award. Her husband Luis had insisted she dress up. Her sergeant had summoned her urgently. But she wasn’t prepared for what actually came next.
The room was filled with her coworkers from the labor and delivery ward. And spread across tables sat every single item from her baby registry – bottles, blankets, a crib, diapers, clothes. Everything she and Luis couldn’t afford to buy.
Amarales, 27, immediately burst into tears, turned, and walked back out to compose herself. The gesture hit her with unexpected force. She had been trying to convince herself that she could manage without a support system, thousands of miles from family in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her overwhelming thought in that moment was simple: People actually care about me.
“During that time I was feeling stressed and overwhelmed as I was also 36 weeks pregnant with my due date just around the corner and we were still missing some essentials for my baby,” Amarales said. “Little did I know my coworkers had planned a surprise baby shower for me and had bought everything I needed from my baby registry. Truly a blessing from God.”
The financial strain had been mounting for months. Luis, 25, had recently left the military, leaving the couple relying solely on Amarales’ Army paycheck. They were also moving between houses when the pregnancy expenses started piling up. The baby’s due date – August 2, which also happened to be Amarales’ birthday – was racing toward them.
Amarales works as what’s known in military hospitals as a “baby catcher,” assisting registered nurses and OB providers during deliveries. She had started the position in September 2024 at the Honolulu facility, feeling nervous about learning the demanding role but immediately welcomed by the medical staff.
“Since the first day I began working there I always felt welcomed by the nurses and doctors,” she said. “I remember feeling nervous as I was learning how to be a baby nurse and they always uplifted me and reassured me that I was doing great.”
Still, Hawaii felt impossibly far from Indiana. Military life meant sacrifice – especially, the sacrifice of being far from family during major life moments. Amarales knew this, but the reality of facing pregnancy without her family nearby had been harder than she realized.
The night before the surprise, her sergeant first class sent a message asking if she could come to work the next morning. The commander wanted to speak with her. Amarales didn’t think much of it – she had a good relationship with leadership and had previously been called in to receive two Daisy Awards for nursing excellence.
But Luis knew what was coming. That morning, he kept pushing her to wear something nice, to put on a dress. Amarales was confused and resistant. “I couldn’t wear a dress to go talk to my commander,” she insisted. Luis came with her to the facility anyway, ostensibly to wait while she met with leadership. Instead, her coworkers secretly ushered him into the surprise room ready for the reveal.
When her sergeant finally walked Amarales to the room and opened the door, the full medical team was there. And the sight of the registry items overwhelmed her.
“Seeing everyone there for me I felt an immense amount of emotions,” Amarales said. “I felt that wow.. people do actually care about me. I’m someone who doesn’t take anything for granted so I was just truly grateful for it all and really took it to heart.”
The experience reframed how Amarales understood military service. “Being in the military can, a lot of the time, feel very lonely as we are far away from family,” she said. “It is one of the biggest sacrifices when joining. However the amazing part of it is that we meet strangers who become like family and are there for you when you most need it.”
Amarales gave birth to her daughter on July 28, just days before her due date. She later posted an emotional video of the surprise on social media, where it resonated with viewers who recognized the particular loneliness of being far from home during vulnerable moments.
Her family in Indiana expressed gratitude that military colleagues had shown up when they couldn’t. And Amarales said the experience taught her something about the unpredictable geography of support systems.
“What I really hope people take away from this is that support doesn’t always come from where you expect it,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s the people or places you never imagined that lift you up the most.”
