Melinda Carr
January 2024
Melinda
Carr
,
RN
Pediatric Sedation
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Raleigh
,
NC
United States

 

 

 

As soon as we said he’s autistic and a hard stick they jumped in and accommodated his needs without skipping a beat, smiling the entire time.
My 4-year-old son is autistic and struggles with any type of medical care, including something as simple as placing a stethoscope on his chest. Having blood drawn is a traumatizing experience for him as it isn’t a procedure he understands. Jennifer and Melinda went above and beyond to make it tolerable for our little guy. Not only were they extremely patient (the ordeal took an hour, which I know must be an incredibly long time for them to have to deal with a blood draw), but they ensured the environment was sensory-friendly, kept the lights low, prevented loud noises, played with him on the floor, and wrapped his kitty-cat’s paws up just like his hand. Ultimately, they did whatever they could to make him feel safe and comfortable. I know this sounds simple, but it truly means the world to us. As a parent of a child with special needs you find yourself apologizing and explaining your child’s behavior. For the first time, we didn’t have to apologize. As soon as we said he’s autistic and a hard stick they jumped in and accommodated his needs without skipping a beat, smiling the entire time.