Katie’s care for my brother came at a very emotionally challenging time for me and my family. My brother had just had a large setback in his battle with pediatric cancer and, unfortunately, was readmitted to the pediatric oncology unit at MSK. We were familiar with this unit from my brother’s initial hospital stay years prior but we had hoped the clinical course of his disease would not prompt a return. From the beginning of my brother’s care, Katie would walk into my brother's room on every occasion with a smile and warmth that allowed my family and, most importantly, my brother to feel comfortable during this extremely difficult time. She was able to put a smile on my brother's face by cracking jokes or asking about the latest sports game. 

S was a college baseball player and would frequently have many guests visit him. Katie was accommodating and thoughtful as they were interacting with my brother. Even if there was almost a full baseball team in the room, she was willing to prioritize how this could be the last interaction my brother could have with his teammates and best friends. Katie took every question or concern that my brother or family had seriously. She ensured that she would help find the answer if she did not know it. With such a rare cancer diagnosis, everything was scary and unknown for my brother, but she would help coordinate with the appropriate teams, such as the Pain/palliative team, oncologist, or child life specialists. 

One of the many impactful experiences we had with Katie was when the doctors took my family aside to discuss my brother's plan of care. This entailed the palliative and end of life team. As anyone can imagine, this conversation for a loved one can be hard, and especially when it's a brother, son, or boyfriend, it is the most difficult conversation you can have. Katie was by our family’s side during this conversation she made sure my family was able to express our concerns and many questions to what the end-of-life process will look like in the hospital. She helped us feel calm and safe, allowing us to make the best decisions we could for my brother, who, unfortunately, was not able to make decisions for himself. This allowed us to make sure we were clear-headed to think what would be in my brother's best interest. Hospitals are filled with lots of sterile objects and undertones. However, during this time, S's last and final stay in the hospital was filled with love and light. My family and I like to think Katie had the largest impact on that.

My brother’s care was medically complex and very unique. His disease course created a high-risk situation, and his age was outside that of the typical patient population for the unit where he was receiving care. Katie did not let that serve as a barrier to providing great care. Katie performed assessments and clarified orders with the care team to ensure my brother's health and safety. When my brother's room was full of loved ones, Katie effortlessly navigated her way around the room to provide exemplary nursing care without ever creating a space where visitors would feel like an inconvenience. Even uncomfortable procedures such as lab draws and catheterization were performed in compassionate and dignity-preserving ways that helped make a difficult stay that much easier. My brother had additional medical challenges to his cancer diagnosis. He developed a bacterial infection in his blood, and she was quick and efficient to get his blood cultures sent down and antibiotics started. These tasks were even more imperative because the longer that my brother had this infection the longer he would have to wait for a potentially lifesaving procedure (VP Shunt). She was quick and efficient to address my brother saying he was short of breath one morning. Without hesitating working it up with the medical staff and thus being able to help the identification of a pneumothorax.

Katie was helping a new nurse through her new hire orientation during the first few weeks she took care of my brother. Katie introduced herself with a smile and no reluctance despite her increased workload and responsibility. She was tasked to provide oversight and education to a new nurse while still providing care to a full load of patients. We watched her create a safe learning environment for a new nurse. My brother's care throughout the day required trips to various departments for scans and procedures, which were extremely time-consuming. In these stressful moments, Katie was able to exhibit great time management and communication skills. We watched her coordinate with multitudes of colleagues to ensure the proper timing of each part of his care. Between going to radiation or having occupational therapy visits, each member of the care team was thoughtfully addressed in an efficient manner.