It was a typically busy day in the department. A mother of a newborn brought her baby in for the Well-Child checkup exam, and she was visibly upset and her newborn was crying. She also had her 4-year-old toddler with her who was crying and hungry. She was having problems breastfeeding the newborn and showed signs of suffering from postpartum depression.
Even though it was a particularly busy and hectic day, Kathy maintained a calm, compassionate presence. She spent a lot of time in the room with this mother along with a social worker and a lactation consultant. As I watched Kathy collaborate with the doctor, the social worker and the lactation consultant, I realized that she was in control of the situation and knew what she was doing.
A little while later, I saw Kathy come out of the room holding the toddler by the hand. She walked with the toddler to the cafeteria in the main hospital, bought her lunch and returned with a container of food for the mother. Kathy then sat with the toddler in the nurse's station for over an hour while she ate and colored so the mother could get the help she needed without interruption. Because of Kathy's care, the family left in a much better emotional state than when they arrived.