1. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
It’s such a privilege to walk with families during some of the most difficult moments of life. You can’t take away their pain, but you can find ways to bring comfort, laughter, joy and therapeutic moments to them.
2. How do you balance the emotional ups and downs?
I am here to support kids, siblings and family members, normalizing what may feel to them like a strange environment
to make it less traumatic. I use my own coping skills naturally throughout the day, but I also have phenomenal PICU and Child Life teams who support not just patients and families but also staff.
3. What is a surprising fun fact about yourself?
I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I like sky diving and whitewater rafting, things that push me out of my comfort zone.
4. Who inspires you?
My dad. He is one of the hardest-working people I know—but, more importantly, he has this natural ability to be genuine and calm even in times of stress.
5. What do you hope to give to patients and families?
I want kids to feel successful and to empower them to ask questions while verbalizing their own emotions. I want to create a space for comfort when difficult moments happen and be an outlet for families and caregivers when those hard conversations occur.
Child Life Specialists use the power of play to help pediatric patients cope with what’s happening to them in healthy ways. Support this vital program today.
