All I can say is, praise the Lord that Rachel Potter was a part of A's care team. She not only treated A and our family with respect, but she also had more compassion than any nurse I have ever had care for one of my children.
A was admitted for a dental procedure and IV antibiotics due to the infection. He was in so much pain that Rachel called the NP and doctors, who came in at 2:00 a.m. to adjust pain meds. They determined the on-call oral surgeon most likely needed to place a drain the next day for the infection as our pediatric dentist was not available. The oral surgeon did not come in during the day despite the request. A did rally a bit in the afternoon, but by the time Rachel came back in A was having a hard time swallowing, was in extreme pain and had a fever. She called the NP who then called the oral surgeon, who had decided he would see him the next day.
Without Rachel, A would have been in a lot more trouble. The oral surgeon eventually arrived. Rachel continued to advocate staying in close contact with the doctors and keeping us informed. A ended up with a drain and incisions on the inside of his mouth. His airway had started to become restricted. The infection had pushed through both sides of his jaw bone. The oral surgeon stated that the situation could not have waited and that honestly without the call, he would have waited and come in the next day.
Rachel was our voice. She advocated and was very professional. I work in an OB/GYN office and I could not believe that she has only been a nurse for a year. She has the compassion of nurses in our office with years of experience. Thank you, Rachel!