A Thank You Note to Sick Kids

Yesterday marked three weeks since we have been back “home” from Toronto.  While it has been nice to be back all together under the same roof and closer to our family and friends, we are still adjusting to the change. We miss seeing our core medical team from Sick Kids and the friends we made at Ronald McDonald House.. and are still trying to sort out our new routines around the house here. 

I wanted to take a moment to highlight and thank some very special individuals from Veya’s Sick Kids Team as we didn’t get a chance to personally say goodbye to each one of them.  I know many of them are following along here on her blog here, so it is my hope that it will reach them.

First off, we’d like to thank Dr. Oshri Zaulan.  This man right here was one of Veya’s core CICU Docs.  He was the one that orchestrated her transfer to Sick Kids in February, and he advocated so much for her during her stay.  He knew to take everything slow and steady with Veya, never to rush her with her complexities when there were times that the rest of the team may have wanted to move things along faster for her.  He was one of the few that made us feel safe to ask questions and told us it was our job as Veya’s parents to question the team with each decision made.  Right before we left Sick Kids, he embraced both of us and told us that if we ever felt unsure or uneasy with where Veya’s health is at, to call him directly and he would get her back in to see her team at Sick Kids.  The love he has for Veya is one I can’t quite adequately put into words and his level of care for her throughout her stay in CICU was unmatched.  We were so blessed to have him see Veya through it all. 

Then there are Veya’s CICU nurses (Jillian, Ashley, Lisa, Zalic, Kevin, Karendeep just to name a few). 

To them, the CICU is where they work.  To all the parents that enter those doors, the CICU is our child’s first home.  And the nurses are the ones that keep that home safe, filled with love and running like a well-oiled machine.  They are their moms and dads when we are not there.  Sometimes they act like our moms and dads when we are there, which we need.  The responsibility they have taken on is great; the love and kindness required of them is even greater.  When walking into the CICU simply feels like work, I hope they remember just how much they matter.  They matter to the babies.  They matter to the moms.  They matter to the husbands who have no idea what to do with their hormonal wives and seemingly breakable babies.  They matter to the doctors as they explain each baby in ways that labs and x-rays never could describe.  They are our babies’ advocates when they are too small to tell the doctors how they are feeling. 

We know that in CICU, they really run things.  That their opinions about their patient’s care often dictates the course and direction or treatment as they consult during rounds every day.  We know that they never hesitated to track down a doctor because Veya’s sats were too low.  Or because her color was off.  Or because she was struggling with withdrawal symptoms.  These are all the ways they advocated for Veya and that only just begins to scratch the surface.  We saw them, in an instant, come together as a team when things went south, and chaos broke out.  And let’s be honest, chaos and CICU are interchangeable words.  When the alarm goes off signaling that a baby is coding or another nurse needs help, they are the first ones to respond.  In those all too often chaotic moments, they know that time is more critical in this unit than any other and they don’t waste it.  They bond together instantly as a team, resolving the crisis until the normal CICU rhythm is restored. 

 We will never be able to give in return what they have given to us.  We thank them for answering our endless questions.  Thank them for their skills; they are amazing at what they do.  We thank them for fighting for our daughter and all the other babies.  We thank them for bringing humor, joy and lightness to our room, especially on the hard days.  For never hesitating to call the doctor and for treating us like family. 

We thank them for holding us up through the most unthinkable moments of our lives….for holding onto hope with us when it felt like all hope was lost. For stopping by to give Veya her favorite head rubs and belly pats….and for celebrating her milestones right alongside us.  For involving our older kids and making them feel important when they came for weekend visits with their sister, letting them climb into her crib and help with changing diapers, taking temperatures and mouth care. For putting Veya’s needs above their own, time and time again, never complaining and coming back the next day with a smile on their face ready to do it again.  We thank them for falling in love with our daughter.

Most of the world won’t know what they do.  They can’t understand how integral they are to the positive outcomes of these babies who started life so critically ill.  But we do.  We know them now and we will never forget them.  In fact, our story can never be told without mentioning their names.  We are thankful to our Awesome God who worked through all of them to help fix our daughter’s heart. 

So the next time they wave their badge to enter the place that few eyes have seen, we just hope they know how appreciated they really are.  They all may have passed through our life for what will feel like a minute despite it having been three long months….but they have impacted us for a lifetime.

Thank You!