“I love everything about being a dad. I love coming home and seeing my family and spending as much time as I can with them.”
Jose has always treasured his family. But he learned just how precious his children, Lucia and Colleen, are when a motor vehicle accident changed their lives forever. His daughter Lucia suffered atlanto-occipital dislocation resulting in quadriplegia. Suddenly, fatherhood took on a new meaning as Jose navigated parenting and supporting his children after the accident.
“As a father to a medically fragile child, you learn something new every day,” Jose says. “Someone told me that we now belong to an exclusive club of parents. Unless you’re in the club, you do not understand what we go through.”
Bringing Lucia home from the hospital was a learning curve, even for Jose who is a nurse. Lucia came home with a tracheostomy and feeding tube. She joined the Aveanna family, receiving expert private duty nursing care to help her thrive in her home. And her recovery astonished everyone.
“Lucia has progressed at an amazing rate,” Jose shares. “She no longer has a trach or G-tube, and she is able to do more things independently.” Lucia’s incredible progress allowed her to graduate from our care. Fortunately, Jose and his family are still part of Aveanna – Jose is now an Aveanna Clinical Supervisor.
“While having nursing with Aveanna, we truly loved the time we had with our nurse,” Jose recalls. “As an employee of Aveanna, I appreciate the flexibility and understanding the company provides. My Clinical Director is exceptionally caring and accommodating. I love working for a company that cares for employees and patients alike.”
Jose pairs his clinical nursing expertise with his personal experience as the father of a medically fragile child to bring truly exceptional care to the patients he serves. His advice for all parents is to “Enjoy every moment you have with your children. Life is short and you never know when it will be the last time you are on this earth.”
As we celebrate Father’s Day this year, we share our gratitude for dads like Jose who give their all to their families and never take a moment for granted. Happy Father’s Day!
If you're a nurse who is interested in helping families like Jose's or in becoming a Clinical Supervisor like Jose, join the Aveanna team today!