Chari Shifrin
March 2025
Chari
Shifrin
,
MS, RN
Cardiac Care Unit
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Chicago
,
IL
United States
Chari didn't have to, but she took the time to walk me through all of these items again and where they could fall in timeline-wise. Because of Chari, I was able to understand the care plan in progress for my daughter.
Chari was one of our primary nurses. Chari came into our lives when M was two weeks old.
From the moment I met her, Chari was able to help me out as a first-time mom. She made me feel comfortable, and she was one of the first nurses to ask me what it meant for us to take care of M.
As a first-time mom, I arrived vulnerable to the CCU. I was dealing with my child's life as the primary parent, my post-partum care, my first year of marriage, being away from my family, etc. Navigating life in the CCU became easier with the help of Chari, she walked me through processes and procedures that related to my child's care.
Chari was able to help me understand what certain numbers meant and what alarms to remain calm with. I was so dedicated to being a medical mom, that it was scary for me to witness "normal" baby things.
I am thankful for Chari because she helped me learn that a cradle cap wasn't a bad thing, it was something babies normally experienced. As I was learning how to pump from a machine, she walked me through the guidelines of breast milk storage specific to the hospital. She was able to tell me of the first teething signs M was experiencing (which I thought was a medical complication in the works).
One week, Chari was caring for M. This week was vulnerable to me because we were waiting for a life-changing decision regarding my daughter's care. That day, the doctor came to speak with me about what ideas had been tabled for the future care of my daughter. It was a heavy conversation, we came to learn she was no longer eligible for her life-saving surgeries... and we had to consider the possibility of a VAD, transplant, tracheostomy, gastric feeding tube, etc., all in one conversation.
Chari stayed in the room during the chat, and after the conversation took place, I needed help understanding what was to come. Chari grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote out the plan for me. A simple piece of paper and pen helped me understand at a greater scale what was potentially coming for my almost 3-month-old.
Chari didn't have to, but she took the time to walk me through all of these items again and where they could fall in timeline-wise. Because of Chari, I was able to understand the care plan in progress for my daughter. In addition to this, Chari was able to share her history of working with patients with these conditions.
In no moment did she ever explain a biased situation, she kept it real with me on where things could go or not. I kept that paper for a very long time... and I held on to you because it was a memory that I would hold forever. She demonstrated her care and her empathy... M is not just our daughter... but she is hers, too, in a way. She helped me navigate the early stages of motherhood.
Thank you so much, Chari!
From the moment I met her, Chari was able to help me out as a first-time mom. She made me feel comfortable, and she was one of the first nurses to ask me what it meant for us to take care of M.
As a first-time mom, I arrived vulnerable to the CCU. I was dealing with my child's life as the primary parent, my post-partum care, my first year of marriage, being away from my family, etc. Navigating life in the CCU became easier with the help of Chari, she walked me through processes and procedures that related to my child's care.
Chari was able to help me understand what certain numbers meant and what alarms to remain calm with. I was so dedicated to being a medical mom, that it was scary for me to witness "normal" baby things.
I am thankful for Chari because she helped me learn that a cradle cap wasn't a bad thing, it was something babies normally experienced. As I was learning how to pump from a machine, she walked me through the guidelines of breast milk storage specific to the hospital. She was able to tell me of the first teething signs M was experiencing (which I thought was a medical complication in the works).
One week, Chari was caring for M. This week was vulnerable to me because we were waiting for a life-changing decision regarding my daughter's care. That day, the doctor came to speak with me about what ideas had been tabled for the future care of my daughter. It was a heavy conversation, we came to learn she was no longer eligible for her life-saving surgeries... and we had to consider the possibility of a VAD, transplant, tracheostomy, gastric feeding tube, etc., all in one conversation.
Chari stayed in the room during the chat, and after the conversation took place, I needed help understanding what was to come. Chari grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote out the plan for me. A simple piece of paper and pen helped me understand at a greater scale what was potentially coming for my almost 3-month-old.
Chari didn't have to, but she took the time to walk me through all of these items again and where they could fall in timeline-wise. Because of Chari, I was able to understand the care plan in progress for my daughter. In addition to this, Chari was able to share her history of working with patients with these conditions.
In no moment did she ever explain a biased situation, she kept it real with me on where things could go or not. I kept that paper for a very long time... and I held on to you because it was a memory that I would hold forever. She demonstrated her care and her empathy... M is not just our daughter... but she is hers, too, in a way. She helped me navigate the early stages of motherhood.
Thank you so much, Chari!