H1N1 and Pediatric Health Care Workers

We started our day in the clinic yesterday, as Big-A woke up complaining of a sore left ear, and, well, since he never complains of being sick or feeling crummy, my mommy-radar screamed "ear infection!" and I packed both kids off to the clinic to get his ear looked at, and maybe try and cage an early H1N1 vaccine. (Incidentally, it was no-go for the H1N1: those ladies are guarding that stuff like gold until our designated time!!!)

While waiting for two hours to see the doctor for three minutes, (forty-five minute wait, my eye!) I ran into an old co-worker and his lovely wife. I knew the co-worker from my days at the large online gambling outfit that shall remain nameless and met the wife that day, who it turns out worked as a Nurse in Children's Hospital.

Irony of opposites attracting aside, I got chatting with the lovely Nurse, and when I found out where she worked, immediately thanked her for being a daily part of what continues to be an unbelievable, caring, professional and super-fantastic care facility. You see, in my time with Big-A in his first week of life and then as an outpatient to the neo-natal clinic over the next few years, I have come to learn something. Children's Hospital is AMAZING. Anyone who endeavours to take on health care for children, and then decides to specialize in really serious, this-should-only-ever-happen-to-adults-stuff, deserves their feet kissed, a bottle of wine, a giant hug, whatever they may be needing at that moment. I don't know how they do it. If either of my kids has so much as a scratch I worry: I really think it takes a very very special kind of person to deal with life-threatening issues for children on a daily basis. These people come to work day after day, usually always with a smile on their faces, and I am left speechless with gratitude.

My hat's off to you!