Recently, a 7-year-old patient with Down Syndrome was admitted to Pediatrics from the ED. The patient was very sick and had respiratory distress. He was having a hard time breathing and really not tolerating a nasal cannula. Earlier attempts were made to transition him off a nonrebreather mask but were unsuccessful. Britane and Jessica showed this patient so much understanding and a lot of patience. Despite the patient initially being a bit difficult, they took time to talk with his mom to determine how she managed to get him to do things during times like this. The mom shared that he really loved kids R&B music. Britane and Jessica then proceeded to turn on kids' R&B music and have a dance party in the room while they worked with him. He needed IVF, antibiotics, treatments, and to transition to a lower oxygen modality.

Because of their patience, creative thinking, and cheerful disposition with him, they were able to carry out all the providers' orders and wean him completely off oxygen! The little fella himself was dancing in his bed! (Just his upper body as he was still lying in bed.) This really made a difference in his care and outcomes and really impressed the mother, who was so grateful for the care. If we had been unsuccessful in getting him off the nonrebreather, he would have needed to go to PICU.

Jessica, our respiratory therapist, and Britane, our Pediatric Nurse, really are a dynamic duo who often provide this kind of specialized care for Pediatric patients. Respiratory illnesses in Pediatric patients can be frightening, and it is even more complicated when the patient is non-verbal with special needs. Our hospital is so fortunate to have Britane and Jessica because their level of skill, compassion, and dedication to Pediatrics is really inspiring.