Meet Cally: supporting families with a SMILE
Cally wanted to be a nurse for as long as she could remember. With an interest in science, a love of children, and a mom whose nurturing nature left an impression on her as she grew older, she felt nursing was a career that allowed her to combine all of her passions.
Now, as a clinical support nurse in the division of haematology/oncology at SickKids, Cally is using her passions to provide the best possible care for children and families “whose whole life has been flipped upside down by a cancer diagnosis.”
“I work with some of the bravest souls you will ever meet,” said Cally.
As a clinical support nurse, her responsibilities vary day-to-day. She provides bedside care for her patients, as well as critical thinking and support for her team. She celebrates with kids and families on their good days, and fights alongside them through the bad. When a caregiver needs someone to lean on, she provides that shoulder. And when comic relief is required, she is the first to start dancing down the hallway to try and get a giggle out of a child.
In her role, she knows she is part of a journey with every patient and family that she works with.
“Some families are there for a long time, and you develop bonds and relationships with them. After a while, you feel like you are part of their family because you experience so much with them.”
It is the team on 8A that helps her get through those tougher moments of the journey.
“Everyone on 8A has the same values and the same hearts,” said Cally. “They are such a wonderful group to work with and have developed into some of the strongest friendships I have ever made. They are also a huge support system for me. When you go through storms, you need anchors, and that is what the team is to one another.”
"I work with some of the bravest souls you will ever meet."
Her experiences working on 8A have had a powerful impact on her as a person and have taught her a lot about life.
“Not only has working with the kids and families on 8A given me a different perspective on life, but they have made me a better version of myself. The experiences I have had in my role at SickKids … you can’t get those life lessons anywhere else.”
Cally’s passion and work ethic is not only appreciated by the staff she works with and the families she treats, but by her own family as well. Recently, her sister honoured her through the SMILE program, which provides SickKids families and staff with the opportunity to acknowledge and to thank staff members through a donation to SickKids. Staff members receive a SMILE pin along with a personalized note as to why they were honoured.
“My sister would have loved to have been a nurse, but some health challenges have prevented her from being able to pursue that,” said Cally. “So to give back, my sister donates a portion of her business to SickKids.”
Cally was touched when she received the note and SMILE pin in her mailbox at work.
“The note was written in the voice of my niece, who is the inspiration behind my sister’s desire to donate to SickKids. It was lovely that she chose to honour me through the SMILE program as her way to give back.”
Has a staff member at SickKids made a difference for you and your family and you want to say thanks? Consider honouring them through the SMILE program. A donation through the SMILE program supports the highest priority needs of the hospital as well as the Staff Continuing Professional Development Fund, which provides full and part-time staff at SickKids with opportunities to advance skills, reach new milestones in their careers and increase their knowledge and expertise.
A SMILE makes a difference, so please consider giving one today.
