"How do you do it?"

The question I often get when I tell people what I do for my job. I work as a pediatric nurse on the Hematology/Oncology/ Stem Cell Transplant unit at Lurie Children's. I respond with the truth: some days are uplifting, some are empowering, and lots are heartbreaking. But to be alongside these warriors as they take on their hardest days has and always will be the biggest honor. Being in this job for 5 years has given me a front row seat to what life looks like for our patients and families as they take on some of the most unimaginable days. I have learned the importance of celebrating the little moments, because sometimes those are the most important. As nurses, we can't take away a kid's cancer, their pain, or the heartache their family is dealing with.But, we have all the power to make everything these patients and families are going through a little lighter. 

What does making things a little lighter look like?

It looks like bringing my patient a prize after they had to be poked for more labs, their port needed to be reaccessed because their needle change was due, or they needed to get their central line dressing sticker changed for the week. 

It looks like putting a small sticker over the tape that we had to put on our patients' faces to secure a tube that goes from their nose to their stomach to help supplement nutrition and take medicine because they no longer can eat or take medicines by mouth. 

It looks like giving a new diganosis family a pill box organizer so they can easily sort and manage their child's medications.

It looks like celebrating the end of chemotherapy treatment or being in the hospital for a stem cell transplant with a bubble parade, a big sign, and music. 

Where do you fit in?

All of our supportive items and experiences are directly funded by your donations. For example: 

$10 can buy a family a thermometer to detect early signs of life-threatening infections at home while their child is immunocompromised.

$14 can pay for a parking pass so both parents can come to their kids room without thinking of the cost of another parking space. 

$50 can buy games and distractive toys for kids during their long hospital stays. 

$100 can support a parent attending one of our parent support groups to connect with others who have children with cancer or blood disorders.

$500 can help fund an event for our Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) group to support teens going through cancer treatment.

$1,000 can go towards finding better treatment for pediatric cancer and sickle cell disease. 

Please join me in helping make the heaviness a little lighter for my patients and families as I take on 26.2 miles in honor of the strongest kiddos affected by peditaric cancer and blood disorders this October.