“Parents will always do everything to protect us from bad news, Mrs. Kelly helped us understand and guide us through our feelings” 

— Alyssa, 11 year old

“During a difficult time for us Kelly was able to provide us with support in many various ways. In the midst of planning for our daughter’s birth, she helped us navigate how to explain the circumstances to our children. I often questioned myself on what to tell them and what not to. Words can be very impactful to a child and with Kelly’s guidance it took a level of stress off our plates. With her knowledge she was able to explain and help me see it from a child’s perspective for both my children of different ages. Kelly helped us stay proactive by discussing normal behaviors to expect as well as signs to look out for after our daughter passed. It helped ease some of the worries I had for them and gave us confidence as parents. Not only was she available throughout our pregnancy, she supported us after our delivery at the hospital. Kelly offered to meet our kids and they played and created crafts together in the room. With the low energy I had after birth and anxiety of the unknown, it was amazing to come home with precious keepsakes of our newborn and her siblings. Having each person from the WeeCare team made our journey more memorable than we could have imagined.”

Tami, mother

“Kelly has the giftedness, passion, and training to work with children and their families in the hardest moments of life. Her ability to bring calm compassionate care to emotionally difficult situations allows families to navigate confidently, knowing they are not alone. I am eternally thankful for Kelly and her ability to guide children and families in her care.”

— Clark, Chaplain

"Kelly is truly the most genuine person you will find. She gently approached each unique situation with our children from 2 to 10yrs old and met them right where they were. She guided them to not only investigate all they were feeling but further unlocked a world where emotions were safe and there was a vast amount of ways to express them. She was there for all 3 of my children, and she was always ready to give us, the parents, new strategies and encouragement. Life sometimes hands us great big things that even the adults struggle to navigate. Having a professional who can come alongside and hold the hands of you and your children through that is invaluable. I can't imagine where we would be today had we not had Kelly.

Marsha, Mother

“Kelly was able to provide us with support in many various ways. In the midst of planning for our daughter’s birth, she helped us navigate how to explain the circumstances to our children. I often questioned myself on what to tell them and what not to. Words can be very impactful to a child and with Kelly’s guidance it took a level of stress off our plates. With her knowledge she was able to explain and help me see it from a child’s perspective for both my children of different ages. Kelly helped us stay proactive by discussing normal behaviors to expect as well as signs to look out for after our daughter passed. It helped ease some of the worries I had for them and gave us confidence as parents. Not only was she available throughout our pregnancy, she supported us after our delivery at the hospital. Kelly offered to meet our kids and they played and created crafts together in the room. With the low energy I had after birth and anxiety of the unknown, it was amazing to come home with precious keepsakes of our newborn and her siblings. Having each person from the WeeCare team made our journey more memorable than we could have imagined.”

Yvette, mother

Kelly has been nothing short of amazing. She took the time to come up with creative ways to communicate the heartbreaking situation to the boys and help them understand what was going on at the time, as well as what the future will look like. In addition to this, she went above and beyond with my sister in law, myself, and anyone who needed her assistance in any way. She would consistently check in to make sure everyone had everything they needed and that the boys were doing well. She exceeded our expectations with her knowledge, empathy and willingness to help, regardless of when and where the help was needed. She accommodated all our needs despite having very little help.

— Aunt of children experiening the death of her brother

When a child life specialist can come to help talk the family through their concerns, I can see the weight lifting off their shoulders, their anxiety decreases, and I believe this helps them cope with the situation that brought them to the hospital. When a CCLS prepares a child for a bedside visit with their hospitalized loved one, I have seen how they have better ability to verbalize their experience giving them the tools they need to process traumatic events. If we had better ability to help children gain these tools, I believe we would contribute to better health outcomes for them for the rest of their lives. The spiritual distress they’re experiencing is decreased. Most importantly, parents just want to do what is best for their child(ren) and in these difficult moments, it is difficult to discern what is best. Having the expert input from a CCLS eases their minds and empowers them to know they are doing the best for their child(ren).

—Chaplain, Emliy