Rob has been a blessing to our family since the day we met him. After her diagnosis of ALL and being in the hospital for more than a week, my daughter had hardly smiled, until Rob and his crazy antics rode through the door. She actually giggled at him. It was so good to hear that sound after so long. So of course, we were thankful for Rob from the beginning. But over the last 16 months, Rob has totally overwhelmed me with the level of care he gives not only for our 8-year-old daughter but our whole family. He plays with my two younger children when he can while treating my oldest. I couldn't bring myself to choose just one example of why he deserves to be honored, so I chose a few:
At the beginning of my daughter's treatment, the pharmacy in CHKD closed. I then had to go from pharmacy to pharmacy to try and find one that carried a medication that our normal pharmacy did not. When I told him about this issue his response was, "Don't do that. Let us do that for you! I'll call the pharmacies until I find one that has it for you." I was floored. I'd never had a healthcare professional tell me this before.
When my daughter is feeling especially sick and doesn't want to cooperate for treatment, Rob jokes with her and isn't afraid to be silly, or even a bit crazy to make her feel at ease and help her manage her emotions so that we can give her the treatment she needs. One day, in particular, she was being difficult, and I was struggling to hold onto my patience, as was my husband. Rob never got frustrated with her. He was amazingly patient, and he connected with her on a level that my husband and I simply couldn't muster that day. She trusts him in a special way after the months of him caring for her and explaining things on her level. If she is admitted to the hospital and has to have her port accessed, she will always want Rob to do it. And of course, he does.
If something feels off to her at home, she will always ask me to call Rob. I will never forget the day that she was vomiting all day while in the clinic. Rob saw how sick she was and immediately went into caretaker mode- not nurse mode, not even HEM/ONC nurse mode- but caretaker, like you would care for a family member. He told her he wished he could make it better for her, asked if she wanted anything to drink or needed any blankets or anything several times. As a mom, seeing your baby sick is the hardest thing in the world. The best thing is seeing other people care for them almost as much as you do.
Rob always sends us home from the clinic saying, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." When I call Rob for an issue, he always resolves it as quickly as he can and makes sure to keep me informed if the process involves talking to a doctor, insurance company, or pharmacy and he has to wait on them to respond.
Most recently, my daughter had to be seen at another clinic for migraines. There was a discrepancy with the medication prescribed and a HEM/ONC concern about that medication. I called the clinic to have the medication changed. After a week of trying to get a new medication, and three business days of waiting for a callback, I called Rob to work his magic. Rob contacted the doctor's assistant and got her to call me back that same day. She said they were prescribing a new medication and told me how to administer it.
No matter how often I call, or how ridiculous my request may seem, Rob always does his best to resolve the issue or find the person who can. He is an amazing resource. Rob Ericson is more than an amazing HEM/ONC nurse. He is an amazing person. I couldn't ask for anyone better to take care of our baby.