Coming into the unit was a shock to us as parents. It was certainly not in our plans, and as any parent can imagine, we were nervous and scared. From the first moment, Sallie took ownership of the situation, calming our nerves as well as those of our young daughter.
Sallie showed a level of care and attention above and beyond what I could have imagined. She approached her role with professionalism, courtesy, and with great empathy. She immediately connected with our daughter, and with us, calming us all in an intensely emotional situation. Our daughter went in fully conscious and wanting nothing more than to paint her toes. Before we could paint them, she had to be intubated. The next day, even though our daughter wouldn't know it, Sallie brought fingernail polish to paint our daughter's toes. She didn't want her to wake up without having them painted. This is a great example of the personal care and attention given by Sallie.
It was comforting for us to see Sallie interact with our daughter. Even when it seemed she wouldn't know, she assured us that our daughter could hear us. She consistently talked and interacted with her even when she was unable to respond. She made sure that our daughter's lovies, "Big Dog" and "Little Dog", were always under her arms, giving her a sense of familiarity, even in her sedated state. As more stuffed animals were delivered, she found a place for them near our daughter to further comfort her.
Sallie treated our daughter with the same level of care with which we would have treated her. She never missed an opportunity to comfort our daughter or ease the burden of her worried parents. Her attention and care gave me a new appreciation for the resource that we in Birmingham have in UAB and Children's of Alabama. Thanks to the entire staff, and especially Sallie.