Kelly Rivera
May 2022
Kelly
Rivera
,
BSN, RN
Pediatric Medical Surgical Unit
AdventHealth for Children
Orlando
,
FL
United States
She approached the end of the celebration line full of cheerful hospital staff and was gifted a handmade graduation diploma from the same nurse, Kelly.
My daughter is a straight-A student and did not have a single B during the whole year. She and her class were practicing singing and dancing the "We are the World" song so they can perform at the spring concert for the whole school. She looked forward to performing and then graduating for the very first time in her life this year.
On Saturday, she developed a fever. We were not alarmed because we have 2 kids and are used to fevers and viral illnesses. On Monday she woke up with a really high fever and pain in her back and that's when I knew it was something serious. I took her to the emergency room where she was eventually transferred out to AdventHealth for Children. She had a severe infection and was admitted to the hospital overnight. My daughter's biggest fear was not the illness but her absence from the spring concert and the graduation that she was prepping for. As days were passing it was clear that we will miss the spring concert at school, and her world was shattered but as a parent, I promised her that she will be dismissed before her graduation on Thursday. Thursday morning, our hopes were shrinking as hours passed and it became apparent that she will miss her very first graduation as well. She did not talk all morning and wanted to move on with her day and her soon-to-come discharge from the hospital.
That same day, Nurse Kelly, informed us about a game the staff plays with the kids on Thursday, and we attended that and had a blast! Both of my daughters won gifts and for a moment we forgot that we were still at the hospital. A young lady from Child Life services handed my daughter a made-up graduation cap which was made from construction paper and a gown that she crafted herself with some bed sheets with a little Dori (from Nemo) as a pattern. As we went back to our room the whole 6th floor of nurses and doctors lined up in a hallway and cheered my daughter as she was walking back to our room. My wife teared up instantly and although I don't usually show emotions, I could barely hold my wet eyes as tears were building up in my eyelids. My daughter was hiding her face from all the strangers around her but kept smiling and smiling because she was full of joy that her graduation finally happened. She approached the end of the celebration line full of cheerful hospital staff and was gifted a handmade graduation diploma from the same nurse, Kelly.
Yes, this is not the graduation my daughter nor we expected to be in. The small gesture from all the people involved in making her day will always be remembered as "the very first graduation of her life". For that, I am so grateful for the staff that made this happen. Thank you!
On Saturday, she developed a fever. We were not alarmed because we have 2 kids and are used to fevers and viral illnesses. On Monday she woke up with a really high fever and pain in her back and that's when I knew it was something serious. I took her to the emergency room where she was eventually transferred out to AdventHealth for Children. She had a severe infection and was admitted to the hospital overnight. My daughter's biggest fear was not the illness but her absence from the spring concert and the graduation that she was prepping for. As days were passing it was clear that we will miss the spring concert at school, and her world was shattered but as a parent, I promised her that she will be dismissed before her graduation on Thursday. Thursday morning, our hopes were shrinking as hours passed and it became apparent that she will miss her very first graduation as well. She did not talk all morning and wanted to move on with her day and her soon-to-come discharge from the hospital.
That same day, Nurse Kelly, informed us about a game the staff plays with the kids on Thursday, and we attended that and had a blast! Both of my daughters won gifts and for a moment we forgot that we were still at the hospital. A young lady from Child Life services handed my daughter a made-up graduation cap which was made from construction paper and a gown that she crafted herself with some bed sheets with a little Dori (from Nemo) as a pattern. As we went back to our room the whole 6th floor of nurses and doctors lined up in a hallway and cheered my daughter as she was walking back to our room. My wife teared up instantly and although I don't usually show emotions, I could barely hold my wet eyes as tears were building up in my eyelids. My daughter was hiding her face from all the strangers around her but kept smiling and smiling because she was full of joy that her graduation finally happened. She approached the end of the celebration line full of cheerful hospital staff and was gifted a handmade graduation diploma from the same nurse, Kelly.
Yes, this is not the graduation my daughter nor we expected to be in. The small gesture from all the people involved in making her day will always be remembered as "the very first graduation of her life". For that, I am so grateful for the staff that made this happen. Thank you!