Rhode came to our home to care for our infant son beginning in January of 2015. She came to our home once a week for about 7 months and then twice a month for 2 more months. Our son was an inpatient at UVA in the NICU and then on the pediatric floor for eight weeks and came home with a g-tube and had only been off of supplemental oxygen for 3 days. Rhode came into our home and immediately felt like a member of our family. She helped us care for his g-tube and eased our fears about his lungs. She would lovingly reassure him while she cared for him and would reassure us as well. Bringing home a sick baby is not an easy task and she did everything she could to ease our worries and to make our son as comfortable as possible. She contacted his doctors for us when we were concerned about issues and we could contact her anytime with questions. On more than one occasion I contacted her for advice or to share milestones and she was always willing and ready to help or to celebrate with us. The day that he no longer required home health services was a bittersweet one in our home.
Rhode's expertise was invaluable to scared parents at home with their fragile newborn. She was often able to ease our fears that something was not seriously wrong and give us advice on how to treat minor issues. She was always an advocate for him and would speak with his doctor's office about issues that were concerning us. Her ability to work with children is remarkable. He is very leery of medical professionals and equipment and she was amazing at putting him at ease and getting all of the measurements and readings that were required. He grew to love Rhode too and would get excited when she came to visit.