What People Are Saying
“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
“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
“Even though Kelly was there for our kids, she always made time to assure that my husband and I were okay. Always listen and made us feel so comforted”
-Kariny, mother
“I have had the privilege of partnering with Kelly over the last five years to serve hospice families. In her role as a hospice child life specialist, Kelly has helped families create special memories and provided immeasurable support to every family member during the end-of-life journey. She is a dedicated professional in her field and creates meaningful connections and relationships with families she has the joy of working with. She has also helped families cope with death by leading grief support groups after the loss of a child. Kelly has a passion for child life and focuses on continuing to grow and work hard to make a difference in the lives of her hospice families.”
— Elizabeth, community connection, Project 4031
“By the time my 8 year old son started Hospice care, his cancer was so advanced that most of his days were spent sleeping and he was no longer interacting with us. Because of this, when I first met Kelly, I wondered how much we would need her services. Kelly is a Child Life Specialist, and Nathan had interacted with many Child Life Specialists during his 10 months of treatment, but I had no idea how much her knowledge and guidance would help our entire family. Kelly helped us create priceless memories with a thumbprint necklace and beautiful hand molds that we will treasure forever. Kelly also worked with my older children and was even able to spend time preparing and supporting them the day my son was actively dying. Kelly always made a point to check on me and my well being too during her visits. She encouraged me to be completely honest with my son about death and dying and helped give me the courage and tools (a beautiful picture book that I still treasure today) to have a conversation no parent should ever have to have with their child. Kelly's "job" on our Hospice team was as the Child Life Specialist but her impact on our family was far greater than any job description could ever convey.
— Cathy, mother
“Kelly really became part of our family while Carter was on hospice. She helped explain the process of dying to our children in a way they could understand and was an especially wonderful support for our daughter, Peyton. She was a huge support to me as well as I navigated the most difficult conversations in life with our children. We absolutely love Kelly and can’t imagine making it through losing our son without her. And she remains to be a great support to us and resource for our daughter through grief support and special activities.
-Rachel, Mother
“Kelly cares about getting to know your child first and working on a solution second. She’s ready to provide support to not only your child or children, but provide education and direction you as the caregiver as well.”