Shelby Skiles was at Children’s Medical Center Dallas with her 2-year-old daughter and couldn’t sleep when she started writing recently.
Skiles, 28, has spent almost every night in hospital since May after learning her only daughter, Sophie, had a serious form of T-cell lymphoma. She estimates that Skiles and her husband, Jonathan, saw hundreds of nurses during Sophie’s treatment.
The boy received 15 rounds of chemotherapy, which helped slow the spread of the cancer. He is currently awaiting a stem cell transplant.
But Sophie was unable to walk, talk or eat on her own because of the intense chemotherapy. Skiles recalled one evening this month when she began writing. “It was 3am and I was lying on the horrible couch in the hospital room and I couldn’t sleep.”
I started recording the work of the nurses and continued.
The list was not limited to standard tests. Skiles said it’s everything I do for us and others, like the nurse who sat on the floor with me when I was having a post-diagnosis panic attack.
On the “Brave Sophie” Facebook page that Skiles and her family started for Sophie, she sent a letter of thanks to the nurses. “You bring a bunch of medicine and supplies into one boy’s room, and you’re in another boy’s room and you notice his cell phone ringing in his pocket,” he said. “You see them wearing gloves and masks and trying their best not to let something like that happen. Loud at night. “I can imagine you stroking that little bald head and wrapping it in a blanket.”
The post is currently being shared by over 25,000 people. Sophie’s page had a lot of followers, so Skiles thought, “I’m going to post this to raise awareness of what happens in children’s hospitals, especially what nurses do when they take care of sick children.” .
“But focusing on it completely captured my mind,” he continued.
The nurses at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, who care for Sophie, also paid attention to this post. “We are so grateful that she did this,” said Susan McCollum, clinical manager at the Pauline Allen Gill Cancer and Blood Center, who helped care for Sophie.
“Our work is emotionally, physically and mentally demanding and makes it clear why we do it and that what we do is more than just a job,” said one employee.
“I’m very happy with our team, but I’m not surprised.” He continued: Because I know I do it every day. Skiles said Sophie will likely remain in the Dallas hospital until the end of January before being moved to a nearby home.
After Sophie’s stem cell transplant is completed, she will need to continue her treatment and stay close to the hospital for follow-ups. Of the nurses she’s met so far, Skiles says, “It’s amazing to see people put their lives on hold and absolutely take care of kids who really need help.” They also take care of their parents.
