March 2024
Samantha
Fralish
,
BSN, RN
Pediatric Universal Care
UW Health-American Family Children's Hospital
Madison
,
WI
United States
Sam also worked with my husband and me on how we could best support our daughter. Sam was caring, funny, and treated our daughter as a friend which is what she needed to feel confident and supported during her recovery.
Sam joined our daughter’s team on day four following surgery. While her surgery went well, she experienced some post-surgical complications that were scary to her as well as to us. When we first met Sam, our daughter had made very little progress in her recovery. She was not eating or drinking, did not want to sit up and was mentally distraught that life as she knew it was over. Sam came in and changed up her plan and pushed her to take control over her situation and make progress. She gave our daughter goals and would not take no for an answer. Sam also worked with my husband and me on how we could best support our daughter. Sam was caring, funny, and treated our daughter as a friend which is what she needed to feel confident and supported during her recovery. We shared lots of laughs and a few tears but within four days of Sam caring for her, she was ready to be discharged. Sam also advocated for our daughter. Her complications were unexpected, and we were not receiving the communication we needed from the doctors. Sam encouraged me to speak to Patient Relations and wrote down my questions and concerns so we could be prepared when we finally did connect with the doctors we needed. She validated our daughter’s concerns in a way that made her feel seen but did not escalate her fears. Thank you is not enough for all Sam did for us. She took a situation that made us feel little hope and turned it around to becoming a goal that could be achieved with measurable steps along the way.