Samantha Wildman

Ensign Samantha Wildman was a xenobiologist assigned to the USS Voyager sometime prior to 2371. She was married to a Ktarian named Greskrendtregk and became pregnant with his child shortly before leaving Deep Space 9. By the time she discovered her pregnancy the Voyager was already in the Delta Quadrant. She experienced many difficulties with this pregnancy, her first, including shooting pains in the lower back and legs.

Samantha and her daughter, Naomi. There were complications during the birth, and the child died. However a subspace accident had duplicated Voyager and the duplicated child was returned to Samantha when her counterpart was killed. The child was later named Naomi. After the Kazon had stranded the crew on a primitive planet when they captured Voyager, her baby became ill and almost died. The chief of the primitive tribe native to the planet, cured her with herbs and roots. Neelix would have a crisis of faith and believe that life was not worth living, after being revived after an accident. It was thanks to Ensign Wildman that Chakotay was able to remind Neelix that his family was now the crew of Voyager, especially Wildman's daughter Naomi, who was very fond of him; indeed, he was also Naomi's godfather. (VOY: "Mortal Coil") She was one of the most loyal viewers of Good Morning, Voyager, the daily news program hosted by Neelix in 2373. (VOY: "Macrocosm") On an away mission the Delta Flyer, crewed by Wildman, Tom Paris and Tuvok, was damaged by an ion storm, crashed, and was buried under rock on a deserted planetoid. Wildman was seriously hurt, bleeding internally. With their air running out Wildman would record a goodbye message to her daughter. Neelix would keep her daughter occupied in a holoprogram while the rescue effort took place. Just before the air was depleted, the Flyer was dug out and transported to Voyager, saving the crew. After her injuries healed, Wildman and Naomi would visit the holoprogram, accompanied by Neelix and Janeway. (VOY: "Once Upon a Time") Samantha Wildman was played by actress Nancy Hower. The character was named after a little girl who died in an accident, and whose organs were subsequently donated to the wife of writer Jimmy Diggs. Diggs was so grateful that he named a character after the little girl. Alongside Joe Carey and Vorik, the character was one of the recurring characters shortlisted to be killed off before the series came to end. Eventually, the writing team decided to kill off Carey in the episode "Friendship One". The character does not appear again after the events of "Once Upon a Time" (her appearance in "Fury" is actually set in 2371). However, she is mentioned in various episodes as still being alive and well and in the non-canonical Pocket VOY novel Homecoming by Christie Golden, Wildman is mentioned as returning to the Alpha Quadrant alongside the rest of Voyager's crew and being reunited with her husband.