My son is 13 years old. He has been diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a type of bone cancer, and is under treatment at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. When I came to 3JCP, the pediatric oncology unit, I was terrified and didn't know what to expect. Words like 'cancer', 'chemotherapy', 'surgery', and 'tumor' were heard but not processed. We've had many exceptional nurses since our first day here, but one nurse stood out in particular, Kelsey.
When my son had surgery to have his biopsy done and his port put in, Kelsey did everything she could to raise his spirits. She could sense his worry, but her upbeat and positive attitude helped bring back his incredible smile. She encouraged him to be a kid, even supplying him with a saline syringe to squirt the resident doctor. He didn't stop there though! He also squirted Kelsey, but she didn't relent! She got him right back! We hadn't laughed that hard since before his diagnosis.
She finds ways to relate to my son. She talks about sports with him, his favorite subject. She teases him about liking Frozen and getting a pink cast, which always results in a smile or an eye roll from him. She does an amazing job of getting his mind off of the not so pleasant things that he is going through, and as his mom, I couldn't be more thankful.
What's even more amazing is her ability to also maintain professionalism. While she's fun, vibrant, and full of energy, she's also knowledgeable, diligent, and an extremely hard worker. She goes above and beyond to make sure that not only my son has everything he needs, but that we, his family, do as well. She's there for us when we need somebody to listen. She takes time to talk to us and address any concerns we have. And in the rare case that she can't answer a question, she doesn't stop searching until she can.
My son recently had surgery to remove what was left of the tumor. He also had 5 inches of bone replaced with a bone donor, a metal plate, and some screws. A few days later we met with the surgeon to take the cast off and make sure everything was healing ok. There is a questionable spot in between his two huge incisions that may not be getting enough blood flow to heal. He's facing another surgery to have a skin graft if it doesn't look better by next week. Needless to say, he was down after hearing that news. In fact, I had never seen him so down. Physical therapy came later in the day, and he barely spoke. I tried my best to make him laugh, and he'd give me a half smile. When Kelsey walked in for report, everything changed. My son was joking with her within minutes. He was smiling and laughing again.
It was at this moment that I realized I needed to do something to show her how much I appreciate her and what a great job she is doing. She deserves to be recognized for her hard work, dedication, and caring personality.
Kelsey has become family. This isn't just a job for her. She truly cares. During the times that have been dark and gloomy, Kelsey is our bright light. I'll never forget her, and I can never thank her enough.