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Michelle first came to know CHEO through her older brother. Throughout his teen years, he had multiple surgeries and Michelle would come to visit him in hospital to brighten his day.
“I remember being a visitor and how kind everyone was to him and to me,” says Michelle. “It always stuck with me how the kindness of others could shine so much light during a dark time.”
Years later, in 2015, Michelle came to know CHEO in a different way. She was no longer the younger sister of a sick older brother, but the parent of a sick child. After her daughter was born, fear started to set in for Michelle – her daughter wasn’t gaining weight. A young first-time mom, Michelle received a call from CHEO asking her to come in and discuss the results of her two-week old daughter’s newborn screening. Up until that call, Michelle had been questioning what she was doing wrong. But once she got to CHEO, the pieces started to fit together.
Their nurse and case manager walked them through her daughter’s diagnosis, Cystic Fibrosis, and what it would mean going forward. And while Michelle doesn’t remember much of that day, she remembers the kindness she felt. “Every member of our care team has had such a powerful and meaningful impact on our family. The Cystic Fibrosis team radiates so much kindness and positivity, which has made having to face this genetic disease a little bit easier.”
A few years later, Michelle’s son was born and received the same diagnosis. Today, her seven-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter are thriving and love their CHEO team. “They’re happy to come here,” says Michelle. “It’s like reconnecting with family after you haven’t seen them for a long time.”
Passionate about helping others, especially after what she’d lived through, Michelle looked into the Personal Support Worker program during COVID-19. After she completed it, she worked in home care and eventually landed her dream job as a health care aide at CHEO. “I know what it’s like to be on the other side – sad and scared. I know how hard it is when things go wrong. Having somebody there that truly cares about you and your child makes all the difference,” says Michelle. “That’s what I wanted to do – be that somebody.”
And her kids couldn’t be prouder of where she works. During a recent play date, she overheard her daughter telling her friend, “It’s OK. My mom works at CHEO. She’ll take really good care of you.”
CHEO is filled with kind and dedicated people like Michelle. Join us.