Lina Clark
July 2022
Lina
Clark
,
RN
7E Pediatric Oncology Unit
University of Michigan Health
Ann Arbor
,
MI
United States
Lina came into our room with happiness, kindness, compassion, and knowledge that we truly needed.
We have just spent the last 6 months in and out of hospitals, cancer facilities, and many other medical buildings and have met a lot of impressive and caring medical staff. Everyone has been wonderful. Our son’s cancer reoccurred after a year. We were recommended to the hospital for a tandem BMT Transplant, which would have us in the hospital for approximately 4-6 weeks each stay. Of course, this diagnosis happened on the day the state of Michigan was ordered to shut down. So with the cancer monster on our backs and the virus everywhere, it is needless to say a very emotional and trying time for us.
After our son was referred to the hospital, we did all the necessary prep work and testing needed so we were in and out of the hospitals during the peak of the pandemic. On the day we were to go to start his first BMT we received a call from Dr. Y telling us that our son had contracted the virus. Mind you we had been in our home since mid-March, so to our shock, we unpacked our vehicle and immediately went into quarantine. There were 4 of us so we all went to our rooms for 14 days, (The longest 14 days ever). Mind you, our son has this cancer just growing and the clock was ticking.
After many calls and Zoom meetings with Dr. Y trying to figure out how we were going to handle our son’s case, the hospital came to a conclusion that we would have to wait 21 days before we could move forward with anything. Now, we as a family were a nervous wreck for our son's well-being and for those that will be caring for him at the hospital. As this was the first case they had come across since the pandemic had begun. We were informed we would be in a special air system room to protect everyone from the virus. Also, we were informed that our son couldn’t leave his room until his test came back negative, although he wasn’t considered contagious. By this time it had been 23 days. We were very happy to oblige to the request for we were very anxious and concerned about getting anyone sick and for everyone’s well-being.
This weighed on us a great deal more than we thought anyone realized. We had no intention of leaving our space for the duration. I was also tested for the COVID test and mine came back negative. Out of the 4 of us, he was the only one that had contracted the virus. Needless to say, after he was wheeled to his room on 7E, we knew that the floor had been advised of our arrival. People were apprehensive you could tell. But no one was rude. You could tell they were scared more than anything, which we totally understood as we just went through all those same feelings over the last few weeks. But our son needed care and they made it possible! We made sure to wear our masks constantly when anyone suited up and enter our room. The first person that entered was Lina Clark, RN.
We were scared, apprehensive, and emotionally drained from the previous couple of months and the recent information that our son's cancer had returned, and oh, by the way, he has contracted COVID-19. We were exhausted physically and mentally. Lina came into our room with happiness, kindness, compassion, and knowledge that we truly needed. She never made us feel like we were Leper’s, which this society at the time made you feel. The unknown does some weird and strange things to people’s ability to find kindness and humility. We had some amazing people come through that door, but Lina just stood out. If it wasn’t for her personality, knowledge, and her special gift in how she cares for her patients the process of healing could have taken a different turn.
The team was great, but she just stood out from the very moment she stepped into our isolated room. She made us feel comfortable, she showed us the compassion we needed. She kept us positive and on-task which helped us to ease our extra worry with this virus on top of the cancer diagnosis. It was just her optimistic ways, warm and caring heart, and "above and beyond approach" that made a huge difference in the dynamics of our care. This was very much needed to help our son heal and recover. God blessed us with a beautiful RN that we so desperately needed during this time and her name is Lina Clark. She truly has made a difference in our lives and helped to show everyone else that everything was going to be okay.
After our son was referred to the hospital, we did all the necessary prep work and testing needed so we were in and out of the hospitals during the peak of the pandemic. On the day we were to go to start his first BMT we received a call from Dr. Y telling us that our son had contracted the virus. Mind you we had been in our home since mid-March, so to our shock, we unpacked our vehicle and immediately went into quarantine. There were 4 of us so we all went to our rooms for 14 days, (The longest 14 days ever). Mind you, our son has this cancer just growing and the clock was ticking.
After many calls and Zoom meetings with Dr. Y trying to figure out how we were going to handle our son’s case, the hospital came to a conclusion that we would have to wait 21 days before we could move forward with anything. Now, we as a family were a nervous wreck for our son's well-being and for those that will be caring for him at the hospital. As this was the first case they had come across since the pandemic had begun. We were informed we would be in a special air system room to protect everyone from the virus. Also, we were informed that our son couldn’t leave his room until his test came back negative, although he wasn’t considered contagious. By this time it had been 23 days. We were very happy to oblige to the request for we were very anxious and concerned about getting anyone sick and for everyone’s well-being.
This weighed on us a great deal more than we thought anyone realized. We had no intention of leaving our space for the duration. I was also tested for the COVID test and mine came back negative. Out of the 4 of us, he was the only one that had contracted the virus. Needless to say, after he was wheeled to his room on 7E, we knew that the floor had been advised of our arrival. People were apprehensive you could tell. But no one was rude. You could tell they were scared more than anything, which we totally understood as we just went through all those same feelings over the last few weeks. But our son needed care and they made it possible! We made sure to wear our masks constantly when anyone suited up and enter our room. The first person that entered was Lina Clark, RN.
We were scared, apprehensive, and emotionally drained from the previous couple of months and the recent information that our son's cancer had returned, and oh, by the way, he has contracted COVID-19. We were exhausted physically and mentally. Lina came into our room with happiness, kindness, compassion, and knowledge that we truly needed. She never made us feel like we were Leper’s, which this society at the time made you feel. The unknown does some weird and strange things to people’s ability to find kindness and humility. We had some amazing people come through that door, but Lina just stood out. If it wasn’t for her personality, knowledge, and her special gift in how she cares for her patients the process of healing could have taken a different turn.
The team was great, but she just stood out from the very moment she stepped into our isolated room. She made us feel comfortable, she showed us the compassion we needed. She kept us positive and on-task which helped us to ease our extra worry with this virus on top of the cancer diagnosis. It was just her optimistic ways, warm and caring heart, and "above and beyond approach" that made a huge difference in the dynamics of our care. This was very much needed to help our son heal and recover. God blessed us with a beautiful RN that we so desperately needed during this time and her name is Lina Clark. She truly has made a difference in our lives and helped to show everyone else that everything was going to be okay.