Brandy's Anniversary

As of February 14th, Brandy has been with us for FOUR years!  I can't believe how lucky we are to have such great nurses.  Home health is NOT known for caring, reliable nurses.  In fact, I hear horror stories all the time about abuse, neglect and criminal activity by the very people that are supposed to be taking care of special needs children.  That is why when the doctors told me I'd have to have home health nurses I said, "Um.  No thank you."

Harlie came home on November 2, 2006.  By December, I realized I needed help.  Not wanted help.  Needed help.  I called every agency on the list provided by my Medicaid case worker.  Out of all the phone calls, I spoke to only one helpful, courteous and nice person.  I chose his agency.  He sent a nurse out and she started working some days, and some nights.  She was okay.  But it was SO scary to put my precious, medically fragile child in her care and then leave the house.  With no surveillance!!!

She didn't stay long.  I went Christmas shopping one day and when I came home she had not fed her at all since I had gone.  She was in desperate need for every calorie (at that time she was 11 weeks old and still only weighed 7 pounds!!!).

I called and told them not to send her back.  I interviewed several after that, but none of them were right. Or even close.

Then, a friend of ours spoke to his friend - a nurse - about us.  She called, we spoke, I liked her over the phone and she came over.  We clicked!  She was hired and started on February 14th, 2007.  Ahhh.... and now she's a part of our family.  Lucky us!

And she's willing to do the hard stuff, too...

She loves Harlie and Harlie loves her.  Our lives would not be the same without her.

So, thank you, Brandy!  Happy Anniversary (over two months late)!
~Christy