By Lariah’s mom, Lavelle
Nurse Mary came into our lives at a very difficult time, but the perfect time. Lariah was very fragile with a lot of breathing difficulties, g-tube fed, and needed 24-hour care. After 18 months at Children’s Hospital we were left with no prognosis based on how rare her condition was, so each day was toss up and we did not know what to expect, took it one day at a time, and tried to remain positive.
The moment we met Mary, we felt so much lifted off our shoulders. We had found a nurse that was compassionate, knowledgeable, and loved our precious little girl as if she were her own, and we earned her trust immediately.
Through the years Mary has been a blessing and has helped Lariah blossom into the beautiful young lady she is today with the amazing care she provides. She has helped her overcome many medical challenges and meet milestones we thought we would never see.
Mary is very detail oriented, an empathic listener, and always strategizing with me to improve Lariah’s care so we can give her the best quality of life. Lariah and Mary have more than just a patient/nurse bond – they have become ‘Best Buds.’ Mary’s support makes a huge difference in all of our lives. With Mary, Lariah’s medical care feels like family.
Some pastime things they love doing together - going for walks, listening to music, looking at pictures, watching movies together, reading books, dancing, telling jokes, and just being plain silly! Mary has been a teacher to Lariah, but Lariah has also been a teacher to Mary.
I have to say Mary is one of the coolest nurses I know – she can sing some hip-hop and has great moves. There is nothing like coming home from work and hearing Mary carry a tune to trendy teenage music or speaking in trendy high school slang.
Mary has gone to school with Lariah since day one. This year, they both get to graduate (tears of joy). This is an amazing milestone! Mary truly has a heart of gold.