Our 7-year-old special needs son was a patient at CHKD for 7 days. We spent most of our time on 5B. He had undergone surgery for a rare intestinal defect. Prior to the surgery, he hadn't eaten for 11 days, and then was unable to eat any solid food or drink for 30 hours post-surgery. By that point, he was starving but was only allowed to drink clear fluids. He was not the ideal patient. His hunger made him extremely irritable and unwilling to cooperate with anyone; at times, he would get physical with his nurses and caretakers during vitals and lab draws. Despite that, Cailey worked persistently to break through to him. During this time, he would ask her repeatedly for different food items, and she would explain to him, at a level his 7-year-old brain could comprehend, why he couldn't have food and when he might be able to eat again. He didn't always like the answer, but he understood each time. This happened to the point of ad nauseam daily, and each time she was always patient enough to explain it again as if it were the first time.

One example of her persistence and dedication to care was when he was tired of drinking various liquids and popsicles no longer excited him, she offered to make him one of her special slushies. It was an instant hit, and he requested it repeatedly. So much so that he requested it during a day when she was not working, and the nurse on duty called her on her day off for her "recipe" so he could have one, and she obliged. Another instance of her outstanding care was when he was finally cleared to have solid food. He was expecting to have solid food for breakfast. The decision was given just before breakfast was delivered, so my son was expecting solid food. They delivered chicken broth, and he was highly upset and disappointed; tears flowed. It was heartbreaking. Cailey was ahead of the game and instantly ordered him some of his favorite foods that he had been repeatedly requesting. When the waffles arrived within minutes of the previous disappointing episode, he was in Heaven and grinning from ear to ear. Her shifts became the highlight of our stay. She even extended her care to my wife and me, conversing with us about random things to ease our minds and provide some distraction from the whirlwind of uncertainty that surrounded us throughout our stay. She was a true blessing. All these things may seem minor, but they made a world of difference to our son and our family. Cailey's outstanding professionalism, untiring determination, and steadfast devotion to care during our stay reflect great credit upon herself, the staff, and CHKD, and we are truly grateful.