Pam was warm and empathetic immediately upon arrival. Our son, H, has a rare chromosomal syndrome (Phelan McDermid Syndrome). He is non-verbal, severely cognitively delayed, autistic, and has epilepsy. On this visit, he needed to have new tubes put into his ears, an ABR, and his teeth x-rayed and cleaned; this meant that we needed to coordinate with many people. Pam had clearly read the notes before our arrival about his needs and my requests to have the room dimmed, a warm blanket, and soft music. She also shared how she also had a child with special needs (autism) and could empathize in a true way. Pam let us know that she understood that H's comfort and care would lead to a smooth transition to the operating room.

As requested, she set up a chair outside of his room for me and closed the curtain and doors so our helpers could stay with H privately and the door would not open and close constantly (this could be a major stressor for H). She met with each professional explaining why I'm sitting in front of the room and providing all of the vital information. Once in surgery, she came back to check on me and our team to make sure we were comfortable and to explain what would happen next.

Over the last 14 years of H's life, we have had numerous surgeries and hospital visits, many of which were stressful and overwhelming. Because of Pam's professionalism, kindness, and true empathy, she made our visit a relaxed, smooth endeavor. We are very grateful for Pam!