It’s The Little Things
Avery, an energetic and sporty four-year-old, likes to keep his parents, Taylor and Carly, on their toes. “He is a fearless little guy,” laughs his dad Taylor. “He does everything with a smile on his face and is as positive as can be,” he adds. “We’re very proud of that.”
Even during Avery’s recent stay at the Children’s Health Unit at Niagara Health, he managed to stay as positive as possible, and a big part of that was thanks to the amazing care he received. “We had to stay at the hospital for four days following an asthma attack,” his mom, Carly, explains, “and we just have to say that the healthcare team was wonderful.”
From the moment they got to the Emergency Room until the moment Avery went home, the family felt like they were in good hands and that Avery was safe. “As soon as we got there, the registration clerk, Christina, made a hand balloon for him,” Taylor remembers. “Avery smiled as much as a kid could under the circumstances.” Christina was accommodating and attentive, something for which Taylor and Carly are incredibly grateful.
Once they were in the Children’s Health Unit, one of the nurses went out of his way to get a toy for Avery right away, which made his little patient’s day.
A happy Avery on his discharge day
“There were a lot of things that were just over and above,” Carly says of her son’s care. She describes a healthcare team that did more than just check the boxes. Not only were they struck by the gentleness they saw in the way the nurses looked after Avery during the day, but also at night so as not to disturb his sleep.
“They brought in crafts for him to do, and an amazing play mat that took up half of the room. It gave him a space to sit and play instead of just being in bed the whole time,” explains Carly. “We didn’t have to ask for those things; the staff initiated them. We were really grateful.”
It was important to Carly and Taylor that the nurses took the time to talk Avery through the different steps that were required for things like his chest x-ray, adjusting his IV or performing a swab test. “He is four, so he needs to understand what is going to happen, and needs a minute to process it. If you just put a mask on him and say ‘breathe,’ that would be very scary for him,” says Carly. “All of those things add time to the nursing staff’s duties but at no point did I ever feel like it was an inconvenience to them. They were very good at letting us do our process and ensuring he was well-prepared.” That everyone was on board with taking that extra time to take the fear out of Avery’s hospital stay is something the couple respects.
“This is why we wanted to share our story,” adds Taylor. “To tell healthcare workers that those little things do make a difference. After all they have been through during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, it was amazing to see that the compassion is still there. It made a world of difference for us.”
“This is why we wanted to share our story,” adds Taylor. “To tell healthcare workers that those little things do make a difference. After all they have been through during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, it was amazing to see that the compassion is still there. It made a world of difference for us.”
After four days, Avery got to go home but not before giving all the crafts he made during his hospital stay to his nurse, Amanda. “Once we got home, he wanted to pay it forward,” Carly says with a smile. “So we went in a few days later to donate a toy to the unit for them to give to the next child who comes in. He was very excited about that; he is very empathetic.”
Avery also has a message to share with his healthcare team, which sums it up best: “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
It’s The Little Things
Avery, an energetic and sporty four-year-old, likes to keep his parents, Taylor and Carly, on their toes. “He is a fearless little guy,” laughs his dad Taylor. “He does everything with a smile on his face and is as positive as can be,” he adds. “We’re very proud of that.”
Even during Avery’s recent stay at the Children’s Health Unit at Niagara Health, he managed to stay as positive as possible, and a big part of that was thanks to the amazing care he received. “We had to stay at the hospital for four days following an asthma attack,” his mom, Carly, explains, “and we just have to say that the healthcare team was wonderful.”
From the moment they got to the Emergency Room until the moment Avery went home, the family felt like they were in good hands and that Avery was safe. “As soon as we got there, the registration clerk, Christina, made a hand balloon for him,” Taylor remembers. “Avery smiled as much as a kid could under the circumstances.” Christina was accommodating and attentive, something for which Taylor and Carly are incredibly grateful.
Once they were in the Children’s Health Unit, one of the nurses went out of his way to get a toy for Avery right away, which made his little patient’s day.
A happy Avery on his discharge day
“There were a lot of things that were just over and above,” Carly says of her son’s care. She describes a healthcare team that did more than just check the boxes. Not only were they struck by the gentleness they saw in the way the nurses looked after Avery during the day, but also at night so as not to disturb his sleep.
“They brought in crafts for him to do, and an amazing play mat that took up half of the room. It gave him a space to sit and play instead of just being in bed the whole time,” explains Carly. “We didn’t have to ask for those things; the staff initiated them. We were really grateful.”
It was important to Carly and Taylor that the nurses took the time to talk Avery through the different steps that were required for things like his chest x-ray, adjusting his IV or performing a swab test. “He is four, so he needs to understand what is going to happen, and needs a minute to process it. If you just put a mask on him and say ‘breathe,’ that would be very scary for him,” says Carly. “All of those things add time to the nursing staff’s duties but at no point did I ever feel like it was an inconvenience to them. They were very good at letting us do our process and ensuring he was well-prepared.” That everyone was on board with taking that extra time to take the fear out of Avery’s hospital stay is something the couple respects.
“This is why we wanted to share our story,” adds Taylor. “To tell healthcare workers that those little things do make a difference. After all they have been through during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, it was amazing to see that the compassion is still there. It made a world of difference for us.”
“This is why we wanted to share our story,” adds Taylor. “To tell healthcare workers that those little things do make a difference. After all they have been through during and in the aftermath of the pandemic, it was amazing to see that the compassion is still there. It made a world of difference for us.”
After four days, Avery got to go home but not before giving all the crafts he made during his hospital stay to his nurse, Amanda. “Once we got home, he wanted to pay it forward,” Carly says with a smile. “So we went in a few days later to donate a toy to the unit for them to give to the next child who comes in. He was very excited about that; he is very empathetic.”
Avery also has a message to share with his healthcare team, which sums it up best: “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”
