Recently, Pam and I were working together in the pediatric ED. A call was transferred to our department, and on the line was a mother in distress, trying to locate a hospital. The mother stated she was in a crisis, dealing with stress and depression. While I was on the phone with the mother, she told me that she and her 3 children were homeless, and she could not continue to have them live in this condition and see her this way. The mother stated she needed help. During the conversation, the phone line disconnected. Pam was next to me during the conversation and was aware of what was going on. After losing contact with the woman, we knew we had to do something to try to locate the unknown woman. Pam went above and beyond in every attempt to find her. Pam made several attempts to reach the woman by calling the number on the caller ID. Pam left messages on her voicemail, letting the unknown woman know that we were concerned for her and her children and that we were here to help. Pam also contacted the local police department to advise them of the situation. She asked that they be more aware if they noticed any abandoned or suspicious vehicles in the area. Pam took a personal interest in this situation after recently losing a close family member to suicide. She told me that the comments the women made were like the comments made by her family member prior to their suicide. Pam said she was fearful the woman would harm herself of her children.
Two weeks later, the unknown woman called back, asking to speak with Pam. I took the call because Pam was unavailable. The woman referenced Pam's messages and again asked for help. She said she hung up the first time out of fear that we would take her children from her. The woman let me know that she did find a hospital, but they only gave her medication, but she still needed help for depression and homelessness. I was able to provide the woman with a list of shelters and other resources. I was excited and relieved to be able to tell Pam that all her efforts had paid off, as the woman and her children were ok.