Angel Smart
February 2017
Angel
Smart
,
RN
9WT/Cancer Center
Texas Children's Hospital
Houston
,
TX
United States

 

 

 

My 15-year-old daughter has been battling acute myeloid leukemia for the past three months in-patient. She developed a blood clot and was prescribed twice daily shots of Lovenox in the stomach. It was determined that she needed to learn to give herself the shots; however, she has a fear of needles.
Nurse Angel Smart volunteered to teach and assist my daughter with learning to overcome her fear and take charge of her own healthcare. Nurse Angel shared her own personal journey of giving herself shots, and her experiences with initially giving others shots and IVs as a student nurse. She came every night for seven nights in a row to assist my daughter as she gained confidence through the steps of cleaning and choosing the area, pinching the skin, pushing the plunger, and finally poking the needle in the skin. Nurse Angel helped my daughter despite her not being on her personal caseload. She wanted to assist a young girl in conquering her fear during her cancer journey. Nurse Angel is like a real "Angel"!