My daughter had been very ill for over a week and in severe pain. We had been to the emergency room once with severe throat pain, fever, unable to swallow anything at all, jaw pain, swollen neck, and face, given a diagnosis of viral infection, and sent home. I had also taken her to the Doctor twice that week and was told she had a viral infection and to ride it out over the weekend. I was feeling very frustrated as my daughter was getting sicker each day and, in more and more pain, still with no answers.

My daughter was crying and could not talk due to pain in her throat, so she was writing everything on paper and asking me to please make the pain go away and that something had to be done to help her and get her out of pain and that she couldn't make it the whole weekend and wait till Monday in this much pain. My daughter was desperate and scared. My daughter couldn't even swallow medications or anything and had not eaten or drunk in almost a week. As a mother seeing your daughter in this much pain and begging me to do something about it or find someone that could make her better just broke my heart. I knew in my gut and as a mother that there was something more going on than a viral infection.

On Friday, our Doctor sent us to the OSF Morton facility to have a CT scan done. I knew it was a Friday evening and it was going to be difficult to get results back by closing. Before we left the office, we were told the results would be read and sent to our Doctor in an hour or so. I called my Doctor with no luck. So, I took a chance and called OSF PromptCare, and Deb answered my call. I explained the situation to her and that my Doctor said it was probably too late on a Friday to get the results and would have to wait until Monday. I explained how much pain my daughter was in and that I just needed the results of the CT scan to know whether or not I needed to take my daughter to the hospital for treatment. Deb explained the CT had not been read yet and that she would keep an eye out for the results and get back to me. I hung up thinking another dead end, but to my surprise, Deb took time out of her evening and work schedule and DID watch for my daughter's results to be read. She contacted me to let me know that the results were in and that we were already in the emergency department and that she just wanted to let me know that she had been watching for the results just like she told me she would do.

Even though my Doctor's office had received the results and informed me that they found a peritonsillar abscess and to get to the emergency room, Deb still took the time to let me know she didn't forget about us or just not have the time to watch and let us know. Being a nurse myself I know that taking extra time out of your already busy schedule to do that for someone is going above and beyond what she had to do. Deb did not have to take the time to watch for my daughter's results and to contact me. But being a mother herself she could tell I was just desperate and needed an answer quickly and she did just that I am very thankful that Deb answered my call that day and was so caring, compassionate, and sympathetic toward us.