When our five-year-old daughter finished her two-and-a-half-year treatment for high-risk leukemia, we were happy to be done. She rang the bell, got her port removed and started kindergarten. After two short months, we received devastating news, her leukemia was back. We were quickly admitted to 7 South and reunited with familiar faces. I was heartbroken and struggled to remain positive until we met Jennifer, a new face on 7 South. She was there to answer my questions, provided reassurance and explained everything in ways that I could understand.
My daughter's treatment plan called for a combination of steroids and chemo - all inpatient, and after six weeks, it was almost time for immunotherapy. Before it started, I asked if we could do a portion of her treatment on an outpatient basis. This was uncharted territory and became a challenge full of obstacles and unknowns, with lots of questions to be answered. With Jennifer's help, departments collaborated and a team was formed. All with one goal in mind - our family being able to spend precious time together at home.
Two weeks after L started her immunotherapy, we were discharged. We headed home with pumps, bags of immunotherapy carefully packed in a cooler and a detailed, color-coded calendar hand-crafted by Jennifer. She coordinated with our caseworker, home health and insurance company. She figured out the number of doses and bags we would need and highlighted dates and times of upcoming clinic and lab appointments.
We will eventually be re-admitted to 7 South, but it will be with a renewed and refreshed attitude. A renewed faith that this is exactly where we need to be because it is the best path to getting our daughter back to having a "normal life" after cancer. Hopefully, this time it will be forever. I am thankful for the exceptional care that Jennifer and the amazing Johns Hopkins All Children's team members provided to our family. To think of how many people were involved and the countless hours that were spent to successfully implement what seemed like a simple request is heartwarming.
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Jennifer is one of our inpatient hematology and oncology Advanced Practice Providers in the Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute. Over the last year, she has proven to be a dedicated and detailed professional who provides optimal clinical care. Jennifer has skills that can't be taught in the classroom; she is a thoughtful, thorough and insightful. She understands the needs of her colleagues, patients, and families - going above and beyond every day performing thankless tasks. She is a true DAISY Nurse and we are beyond fortunate to have her on the Cancer and Blood Disorders team.