Two weeks ago I worked with Katie in the peds Hematology/Oncology clinic (I'm a pediatric anesthesiologist.). We had a full day of cancer patients undergoing lumbar punctures with chemo treatment or bone marrow aspirations. Many of these patients were scared and anxious. Katie would give each of them a hug, reassure them, and tell them, "You are never too old to give your mother a smooch," and generally put them at ease. Her upbeat and friendly manner and familiar face were so important to these patients. Many of them we called "frequent flyers" since they were here so much. A young leukemia patient had made a drawing for Katie and addressed it, "To Rock 'n Roll", his nickname for Katie since she always greeted him with the phrase, "Let's Rock 'n Roll!".
I've worked with Katie for many years. She has always watched out for these kids. I remember she would always insist that the room is thoroughly cleaned before bringing back these immunosuppressed and most vulnerable patients, despite pushback from other staff. She always did right by her patients.
Katie, thank you for sharing your many gifts with us at Wolfson!