When Liz Wilson went to Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital to deliver her second baby in August 2017, she had a labor and delivery experience unlike anything she’d experienced before.
Liz remembers the reassuring words she heard as she was about to get her epidural: “The anesthesiologist held my hand, smiled and told me, ‘You’ve got this.’”
What’s more, Liz’s maternal-fetal medicine physician—Richard K. Silver, MD—was there with her from her epidural through delivery. Dr. Silver even tucked Liz’s hair into a hair net and then held her hand as she was rolled to the delivery room.
At the end of her delivery experience, Liz and her husband, Graeme Wilson, welcomed their son Teddy into the world with Dr. Silver at the bedside.
This entire experience was dramatically different from Liz’s first delivery, which sadly ended with a parent’s worst nightmare.
A mother’s pain
In July 2015, following a mostly routine pregnancy, Liz was seen at another Chicago-area hospital for her first labor and delivery when her due date had passed. She was to be induced, but that was pushed back a few days when it was discovered, late into the process, that the baby had no heartbeat. At that moment, Liz had to brace herself for the devastating emotional and physical pain of a stillborn delivery.
“I was thrust into this new life and this new reality,” she recalled from the experience of having to continue with the induction and delivery. “The game had changed dramatically from delivering a healthy baby to delivering a stillborn.”
Even with constant medical attention, Liz’s labor was prolonged in the hospital. After nearly two days in labor, Liz felt her stomach drop with intense pain and she received an emergency C-section. It was only then that they discovered that Liz’s uterus had ruptured during the labor process and she had internal bleeding.
She was able to hold her stillborn daughter, whom they named Claire, and say good-bye, but Liz felt like she was on her own and dismissed by the hospital caregivers as a mourning mother.
“They didn’t really give me a path,” she recalled.
From heartache to hope
Thanks to a connection through her sister-in-law’s obstetrician, Liz was able to make an appointment with Dr. Silver at Evanston Hospital.
Dr. Silver came to Evanston Hospital in 1987 and has since built an outstanding maternal-fetal medicine program that cares for families and babies at every stage. Through his many decades of work, Dr. Silver has made significant advancements in the field of medicine through his research, providing exceptional care to his patients and inspiring countless colleagues to grow professionally.
Liz knew instantly that Dr. Silver was the right physician to help her heal and try to start a family again.
“He’s incredibly generous with his time and his thoughtfulness,” Liz said of the care she received from Dr. Silver.
Dr. Silver coached Liz through her second pregnancy, explaining any and all risks involved. He also shared that she was not as high risk as she thought, even with her ruptured uterus from the first pregnancy.
What made Liz’s experience with Dr. Silver all the more exceptional was that he empowered her to feel capable of having a successful pregnancy. He knew the care and assurances she required to feel confident and served not only as her physician but also as a compassionate mentor to Liz and Graeme as they once again tried to build their family.
“He took the best care of us,” she recalled. “He put us back together.”
A partner through the process
Following Teddy’s birth, Liz asked Dr. Silver to remain her physician during her future pregnancies, an arrangement he gladly accepted. Liz went on to have two more healthy babies with Dr. Silver’s help and guidance. He helped Liz understand that her risk would increase with each pregnancy and prepared her to think about the path forward with any and all future pregnancies.
“He had a profound effect on our lives,” Liz said. “It’s not just medicine to him, and it’s not just science. There’s a thoughtfulness to every single thing he does.”
Just as he helped Liz and Graeme, Dr. Silver has helped countless other families at Evanston Hospital through their pregnancy journeys. As Dr. Silver nears retirement, he’s thoughtful of the legacy he leaves behind for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Silver’s wife Sara, his beloved partner for 45 years, passed away in April 2024. Sara was also a lifelong teacher to so many students and older adults, sharing Dr. Silver’s philosophy of mentorship as an honorable form of servant leadership. Not surprisingly, Dr. Silver had hopes of sharing his legacy with Sara.
In July 2024, a fundraising campaign was launched to establish The Sara and Richard Silver Endowed Chair in Reproductive Health. Former patients, friends, colleagues and Endeavor Health leadership have come together to help cement the legacy of Dr. Silver’s work and to ensure that future generations of obstetricians and gynecologists can have the resources to advance the field of women’s and children’s healthcare.
“Dr. Silver has both the vision to develop research programs that will make a difference in patient care and the foresight to recruit, retain and support the best and brightest physicians who can bring his vision to life,” said Michael S. Caplan, MD, Chief Scientific Officer of the Endeavor Health Research Institute and The Auxiliary of NorthShore Chair of Pediatrics. “Endowed chairs are transformational in supporting these activities.”
But most importantly, the endowed chair will ensure Dr. Silver’s name remains a part of Evanston Hospital where he helped so many families come together and thrive.
Liz Wilson described Dr. Silver with words that anyone who knows him would also share: “He’s truly one in a million.”
These efforts would not be possible without philanthropic support. We are powered by the generosity of donors who directly impact our ability to deliver on our commitment to community-connected care.
Masthead photo (left to right): Liz Wilson, Teddy Wilson, Fitz Wilson, Graeme Wilson and Margaret Wilson
Photo courtesy of Liz Wilson