Growing up in Albany, GA, I saw poverty all around me. The poverty was most evident in the health care system. When I was a child, there were only 2 hospitals in Albany. As the years went by, healthcare providers slowly left town and one of the hospitals closed its doors.
In middle school and college, I volunteered at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. These experiences proved invaluable when I had the opportunity to help in the NICU and work with sick children and families with financial need. It propelled me to begin my mission to help children get the appropriate health care and educate their families so they can live healthy, full lives. I still care for children in similar financial circumstances now. It is heartbreaking to know that if these children had access to the right care early on, many of their medical issues could have been prevented.
I have 2 children of my own. One evening on my commute home, I reflected on my work day like I often do. I had a day full of medically complex cases. I thought to myself, “if I complained to any of these parents about my child walking into my room at night and crawling into my bed to snuggle, they would be envious because they …show more content…
When they are referred, my goal is to get these children less reliant on their feeding tube or completely weaned if possible. This takes collaboration between myself, the healthcare team and the caregivers. We always start with a plan, but typically must change the plan multiple times to reach our goal. I have learned that some things don’t make any sense, but never to discount what a parent is reporting. I am in constant contact with these families to provide guidance, education and support, ultimately pushing them to succeed. I have developed many long-term relationships with these families. These relationships along with the small wins happen to be one of the best parts of my current
In middle school and college, I volunteered at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. These experiences proved invaluable when I had the opportunity to help in the NICU and work with sick children and families with financial need. It propelled me to begin my mission to help children get the appropriate health care and educate their families so they can live healthy, full lives. I still care for children in similar financial circumstances now. It is heartbreaking to know that if these children had access to the right care early on, many of their medical issues could have been prevented.
I have 2 children of my own. One evening on my commute home, I reflected on my work day like I often do. I had a day full of medically complex cases. I thought to myself, “if I complained to any of these parents about my child walking into my room at night and crawling into my bed to snuggle, they would be envious because they …show more content…
When they are referred, my goal is to get these children less reliant on their feeding tube or completely weaned if possible. This takes collaboration between myself, the healthcare team and the caregivers. We always start with a plan, but typically must change the plan multiple times to reach our goal. I have learned that some things don’t make any sense, but never to discount what a parent is reporting. I am in constant contact with these families to provide guidance, education and support, ultimately pushing them to succeed. I have developed many long-term relationships with these families. These relationships along with the small wins happen to be one of the best parts of my current