Journeys of Hope - Episode 22

In this episode of Journeys of Hope, Rebecca Solomon is joined by Kelsey Mayer, MS, CCLS, Director of Therapeutic and Developmental Support Services at Blythedale Children's Hospital, to explore the vital role of play in pediatric care. Kelsey shares her journey into child life and discusses how therapeutic and developmental support services help children and families navigate medical challenges through play, creativity, and emotional support. The conversation highlights the power of individualized care, the importance of specialized child life training, and unique interventions such as Blythedale's facility dog, Twister. Together, they reflect on how compassion, teamwork, and hope help children build resilience and healing throughout their healthcare journey.

You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

TRANSCRIPT

Rebecca Solomon (00:05)
Hello and welcome to Journeys of Hope.

A podcast from Blythedale Children's Hospital, inspired by the strength, resilience, and unshakable spirit of medically complex children. My name is Rebecca Solomon, and today I'm honored to welcome Kelsey Mayer, Director of Therapeutic and Developmental Support Services at Blythedale Children's Hospital. Through childlife, music, recreation, and developmental support, Kelsey and her team bring comfort, connection, and hope to children and families. Kelsey, thank you so much for being with me on this podcast.

Thanks for having me.

Kelsey Mayer (00:38)
Thanks for having me.

Rebecca Solomon (00:39)
It's a long time coming because we know your department is huge and we want to tackle it all, and we're just looking forward to hearing everything you have to say in this episode. Great. So I want to start with you. What first drew you to child life and to working with children and families in a hospital setting? You

Kelsey Mayer (00:56)
so I've been interested in probably working with kids for most of my life throughout high school and volunteer opportunities always gravitated towards working with kids. but it wasn't until college that I uh really had

an opportunity to learn more about the field of childlife. And so I wasn't one of those situations where, you know, I knew in grade school that I wanted to be a childlife specialist. I kind of learned about the field later on in um education and undergrad and did finally

though that I found something that was so aligned with um who I was and what I wanted to do. I had a past interest in nursing or teaching and kind of always balanced

uh bounced between those two and then child life kind of came into my world through a professor at Sunni Oneyata and um she kind of set me on the trajectory that was, you know, what I feel like was meant to be my career.

Rebecca Solomon (01:53)
Well I'm so glad that your mentor guided you in that direction. We're all luckier for having you in childlife

Kelsey Mayer (01:58)
Mm-hmm.

Rebecca Solomon (01:59)
and leading the way. As you mentioned you study child and family studies at SUNY Oneonta and then you earned your master's in childlife from Bank Street College. Now was

Was there that particular experience or person or moment that made you realize this was the career you wanted?

Kelsey Mayer (02:17)
Yeah, I I definitely

remember exploring with um if I remember

correctly her name is Doctor Um Teresa Russo from Suny Oneonta who uh I mean I think she actually had a had an experience in child life herself and so when I was kind of explaining to her, one day in, you know, advisory time with your professor, she had mentioned, Hey, you might be interested in this field, take a look at it and as I started to explore, um

felt very connected to it. And then it was one of those light bulb moments where everything from that moment forward felt

so connected and so great and

Going having the opportunity to go to Bank Street was amazing. uh the current platform is online, but I was a in-class cohort um,

you know, back uh a few years back and it just was life-changing the education, the opportunity to really immerse myself into what does it truly mean to be a child life specialist. I always say I thought I knew about child life um from undergrad just exploring it and then once I w had the opportunity to uh go to Bank Street was just

enthralled with how

important and all of the avenues that open up when you become a child life specialist.

Rebecca Solomon (03:35)
That's awesome. And you probably couldn't unsee it from that point on. Like probably everywhere you looked,

Kelsey Mayer (03:38)
Exactly.

Rebecca Solomon (03:40)
you know, it changed. Everything was T D S S for you, childlife support. And that's so cool how it's just

continue to evolve and then of course you get to Blythedale. And you know, for listeners who may not be familiar with TDSS, what exactly is therapeutic and developmental support services and what role does your department play in a child's experience at Blythedale?

Kelsey Mayer (04:02)
Yeah, so therapeutic

and developmental support is actually um very specific to Blythedale. It is a title that we created to help encompass a bunch of different disciplines that um are underneath that umbrella title.

Um it's really a nod to strong collaboration of clinical skill sets. Um so

in therapeutic and developmental support services, we have our childlife and creative arts team, uh which is comprised of childlife, music therapy, and art therapy, and we also have our therapeutic recreation team as well. So we have those those kind of two programs uh underneath the um umbrella

of what we lovingly call T DSS because it's a long title. Um, but there's a lot of important work happening underneath that title. So we gave

myself a little a little shortened version, but really our goal is to ensure that we can provide uh a variety

of coping and developmental support resources for our patients, residents, and families as they navigate their healthcare journey. um And so the more diverse we become in the different clinical skill sets that we house under the umbrella of TDSS, the stronger we are for our

our outreach and

for our patients, residents and their families.

Rebecca Solomon (05:13)
region for patients,

residents, and their families. And you really see that outcome with our patients, residents, and their families. I mean, really that support that you are providing for the whole child, people don't realize that when a child comes to Blythedale, it's about them and it's also about their caregivers and family, whether it's their siblings or their parents or their grandparents or I mean, it's a whole package. And the fact that your department can provide that support for them and all those different disciplines that you just mentioned and all those

areas, that's really something. And I'm just thinking, I'm sure there are some other organizations and hospitals out there who probably look at what you've created and want to also maybe copy that, you know,

Kelsey Mayer (05:56)
Mm-hmm.

Rebecca Solomon (05:57)
or at least take a di a similar um approach.

Kelsey Mayer (05:59)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I

think one thing that

Probably that stems from my um clinical self as a childlife specialist is the need to work so collaboratively with other disciplines. And so um about it was about I think nine years ago internally within Blythville, did we create T DSS? And prior to that mark, we were all separate uh clinical programs, um, but driven by collaboration and the need to be mo more cohesive in in how we um, you know, provide our outcome.

outreach and just be able to have more

intentional conversations about what we're doing and how to best deliver our care. We had the opportunity to integrate all of these programs into one oversight, which I think from a again from a just my from my perspective as a childlife specialist was so important to me in the collaboration of providing really streamlined care. And so when I think about other organizations and the opportunities that probably are uh

available in other children's facilities.

Rebecca Solomon (07:01)
available in other children's facilities,

Kelsey Mayer (07:03)
these

um the cohesiveness that um bridging these disciplines together is the unique piece um and ensuring that while we all have different clinical skill sets we also have a beautiful overlap that I think really allows us to stay focused on really caring for our patients

and their families.

Rebecca Solomon (07:26)
and their families. Yeah. It's really a beautiful thing seeing it all come together and seeing how many members of your team are able to we we cover so many, so much ground at Blythedale literally from all the units that we

Kelsey Mayer (07:36)
Yes.

Rebecca Solomon (07:39)
have, but just all the areas, you know, and it's really beautiful to see day in and day out.

When a child comes to a hospital like Blythedale they may be dealing with fear, uncertainty, pain, or a major change in their everyday life. How do you and your team help a child feel like a child again, not just a patient?

Kelsey Mayer (07:59)
Oh, it's it's so important to just meet patients and families where they are in their journey. Um and so the first step is really just um kind of grounding yourself where they are, um, and then taking

their lead. I think one thing that's we do um a lot of is play. And um I'm sure we'll get into it more, but play is such a big piece of what our team offers, um, and the normalcy that making sure that

These resources are available, um, intentionally provided to maximize somebody's coping ability. Um,

you know, just kind of bridging fear and anxiety with normalcy, comfort, connection. And those things come through having

the appropriate resources, which for children is going to be toys, music, art. These things are tremendously comforting for somebody going through a difficult time. It's something familiar. It's something they've used in times of uh fun and um

creativity. And so to ensure that those get ingrained and brought to the bedside uh in a, you know, in a very um timely manner and respectful manner. Cause again, I think for us it's really a lot about matching.

and pacing and making sure we're aligning and introducing interventions and resources as

the family needs us to.

Rebecca Solomon (09:27)
It's great. And you know what's also fascinating with that is say you have two eight-year-old patients and both are coping in a different way. And that means that it's not one size fits all with how you provide their care. So one eight-year-old might require a different um care than someone else. And but you're also still able to use the skill sets that your team has and apply that towards each child, even if it looks a little different, it still has that same possibility.

Positive outcome. Exactly. Yeah, I think that's a really important point you just made that um coping is really, you know, such an individual journey and um developmental level is definitely one

Kelsey Mayer (09:57)
Exactly. Yeah, I think that's a really important point you just made that um coping is really, you know, such an individual journey and developmental level is definitely one

um aspect of it and then um leisure interest and coping preferences and um all of that are assessed by our clinical team in how we determine how to provide a plan of care. Um all from our childlife specialists, our certified therapeutic recreation specialist, our art therapist, music therapist.

Our whole team really um is along that journey of assessment and ensuring that each child, each family, each resident gets a individualized perspective on how to best support them. And um,

you know, we can actually use the same intervention. I can, you know, Uno's a big one that we often um we love a good game of Uno and it just can be um so important and

Rebecca Solomon (10:45)
We love Uno at Blightdale.

Kelsey Mayer (10:53)
intentional for so many different reasons for a child uh or in a game that someone's taking something differently out of that opportunity. and so it's just, you know, it's so beautiful to be able to use uh what we would call like our developmental

language play and just being able to give an opportunity to express themselves and, you know, see where we're going with our services.

But I think being able to be individualized and intentional is a big piece of what we do.

Rebecca Solomon (11:20)
That's so cool. Who would think that a game of Uno or play would just have such an impact on a child. It's something we take for granted. Yes.

Kelsey Mayer (11:29)
Yes.

Rebecca Solomon (11:29)
You know, but it really when it comes to healing, it's such a big part of that.

Kelsey Mayer (11:34)
Yes, I agree. I think I often

reflect on play as like our need f to drink water and hydrate. it's just such an important piece of being a human, um, at whatever age. So for everyone.

Rebecca Solomon (11:48)
For everyone. For everyone. Yeah.

And it's so important to take that time to find what makes you happy. Like play is one of those first things that makes someone happy when they're a little kid and it should continue throughout the life.

Kelsey Mayer (11:59)
Yes. Yeah. Yes.

Rebecca Solomon (12:03)
That's great. Kelsey, can you share a story or experience without identifying the child or family that has stayed with you and reminded you why this work matters so much? Yes. Um there's been

Kelsey Mayer (12:16)
Yes. Um there's been

so many uh different patients and families that have impacted my own journey. Um and but I I always return when reflecting on a question such as this to one of my first patients um that I was w uh able to work with at Blythedale about fifteen years ago. So I you know, there's been a lot of experiences in that time, but I always return to um

this beautiful

young three-year-old girl who was a

admitted after a um car accident and she was previously healthy and then after the car accident sustained significant injury. Um and you know I as an uh new c newish grad, I wasn't here exactly right out of grad school, but had a year and a half under my belt, so still new to the field. you know, had

the challenge of trying to figure out how to play for um somebody who did not have the ability to play anymore. So she did not have the ability to move her arms or her legs anymore. She was on ventilator support. She could smile. She could blink her eyes. Um she was not able to verbalize though. She could mouth words though. And so I remember being like, gosh, how like how am I gonna bring play and comfort, you know, to this young lady and

the kind of the joke was on me. I didn't need to figure it out. As often with kids, that's how it goes. She taught me how to play with her. And there's a particular inst instance where I remember walking into her room one day and she closed her eyes and mouthed, um,

I'm hiding.

And I said, Oh, are we playing hide and seek? And she just had this huge grin on her face. And so I started

walking around the room, narrating where I was going and kind of also just trying to bring as much sensory experience to the play that I could. So I would open the bathroom door and say, Are you in the bathroom? And I would obviously check back and look at her and she would have her eyes closed, grinning and saying, No. She she was no.

And I would close

the door and I'd go over to her bed and I'd bump the bed and I'm like, Are you under the bed? And she would have this big grin on and say, No. And uh we went on like that for so long. And I just remember that being such an important moment in my career um of how to

play for somebody, which in return is just playing with. And it challenged every perspective I had on play um and access to play. And I will never forget that. We played hide and go seek all the time. Uh she was in crazy places. Um but just with the ability of um being able to you know mouth where

she was and keeping her eyes closed and just the grin it

It just was so impactful to me. And so it just was one of those moments that it really tested kind of maybe your your uh typical thought on what play might look like. And that has that taught me so many lessons that have stayed with me throughout my whole career. And I think has one of the main reasons why I'm still at Blythedale is that little girl and that opportunity and just

that ability to just be so present and deliver something so organic, um, but s so em impactful.

Rebecca Solomon (15:55)
I love that story. Thank you for sharing that. That's emotional because hide and seek is one of the first games that little children know how to play and it can look different again for every child. And

Kelsey Mayer (16:05)
Mm-hmm.

Rebecca Solomon (16:06)
um that was something you learned then and there and you know, that's beautiful.

Kelsey Mayer (16:10)
yeah.

Rebecca Solomon (16:11)
I love that. Thank you.

You have specialized training in areas including infant massage, Reiki, brain injury, and bereavement. How have those experiences shaped the way you approach caring for children and families?

Kelsey Mayer (16:25)
I I just really use so many uh tools. I think all of those different uh

certifications that I hold are just considered tools in my toolbox, my coping toolbox. Um it really does help me deepen the services and interventions that I could provide as a child life specialist. Um but also I kind of inherently love that idea of anything else I can inform myself with. I just it's a a a conduit, a bridge to being able to give it to somebody else when they might need it.

Um and so for sure I definitely had particular

interest in infant massage in Reiki early on in my career. Um and then through working at Blait Dale had the opportunity to become a brain injury specialist in um a uh in extra training in bereavement and

I

just think there's so much value, one in continuing education. I think it's really important that we stay connected to what's happening in different fields, um, to be able to give and be a resource to our families we're serving. Um so I just it just all of those are just tools. Um and I, you know, continue to build the toolbox.

Rebecca Solomon (17:40)
and the tools are great, but even as you said, you're learning so much as you go, continuing to learn and your team I'm sure.

Kelsey Mayer (17:46)
Yes.

Rebecca Solomon (17:46)
Day in and day out. That's great. Your department also supports parents and caregivers and even siblings. And this is something that on Journeys of Hope, we hear this all the time on episodes when I speak with patient families. They're always talking about how your department has helped them, whether it is the patient's brother or sister or grandparents. And that was actually one of the reasons why I really wanted to get you on an episode so you can explain

Kelsey Mayer (18:06)
Hmm.

Rebecca Solomon (18:10)
to us why and what your department does. So, what are some of the ways TDSS helps families?

Cope with their child when their child is going through a difficult medical journey.

Kelsey Mayer (18:21)
Yeah, for sure. It's so important that we treat the whole child, the whole family. Um

We you know, I think most of the um training that uh the different disciplines within our department have really encompasses that holistic perspective. And so um the first thing that comes to mind right off the bat is just our special events programming

and really what that is is an opportunity to normalize the environment for the whole family. So we definitely get to have our fun, we throw our parties, um, but we also are very intentional about ensuring that the special events are represented for our families in

In a way that they can do it together. Um and so just that idea of having an opportunity to come together and go to an event, go to fall

fest is coming up, you know, paint a pumpkin, something they might have done if they were home, really again creates a a sense of normalcy for our families. Um and also just a a a point of connection. Um we also do more intentional services like our uh

our parent group we just reinitiated with our art therapist and childlike.

team to pr provide more of a intentional therapeutic platform for families navigating uh this journey. and then we have a sibling support program specifically through our child life

team to help bridge the experience specifically for siblings, which is a quite a unique one. Um but I will say that patients um families and siblings are integrated throughout every level of our whole team through therapeutic recreation, music therapy and their family sessions, art therapy and and their family sessions. It's just it's such a big piece of what we do. So we do try to be more intentional at times about the services, more specific for that family need. And then we zoom out and try to get every

As a community, as a family community, and say come celebrate with us. We, you know, navigate a lot of the celebrations and just we also do virtual visits. We try to help families stay connected when they're not able to be at the bedside. So just that family connection piece again is so it's so fluid in our program. It can be right more uh

broad or more specific, but it's definitely an important piece of what we do.

Rebecca Solomon (20:36)
Well I must

say you you certainly know how to throw a fun party. You guys have some

Kelsey Mayer (20:39)
Ha ha

Rebecca Solomon (20:39)
good, some fun events, right? And I know we're we're gearing up with the the fall and winter holidays and it is

Kelsey Mayer (20:45)
Yeah.

Rebecca Solomon (20:45)
just one party after the next and on the communication side of things, we love that because you're giving us some amazing beautiful content that we can share with the world on social media. So it's really cool to see that collaboration and and just see how you throw throw those good parties. So

Kelsey Mayer (21:00)
Yeah. We do.

We like to have fun.

Rebecca Solomon (21:03)
We

do. We like to have fun. Yeah, for sure. Have s lots of costumes and fun and gifts and all the good things.

Kelsey Mayer (21:06)
Mm. Yes.

Rebecca Solomon (21:09)
sometimes healing

is not just physical. How do you help children process emotions and understand what is happening to them and find ways to express what they may not have the words to say?

Kelsey Mayer (21:22)
Yeah, I I definitely think that this is such a critical piece.

our number one way is through play really providing opportunities for children to have

free choice in their play, explore. their play tells us so much about how they're doing. Their worries, their fears, their questions. and again, all of our clinical team uses play in different ways. so it's it you know, it really is such a a thread throughout everything that we do. Um, you know, same thing with family support. There's times where it's more general and more broad and just giving

free choice in a play opportunity is so important to autonomy in the hospital. And you know, when somebody's telling you what to do, where to go, how to do it, free choice opportunities is so important. So that is captured uh often in our therapeutic recreation program in our open rec afternoon groups where there's a bunch of different activities out and kids can gravitate towards what they're seeking. Uh we watch and it tells us where they're at, what they're looking for, um, how long

they might stay

engaged in activity, how much support are they looking for from us? are they looking for social time? Are they looking for independent time? Um, you know, so we're quiet facilitators in that sense in that session where you're kind of taking back seeing how kids are using their time. And then we use play in uh as specifically as a child life specialist in more intentional ways to help educate about um

things happening to their body, procedures that they're gonna see uh have, equipment that they might see. So we do medical play as a childlike specialist specifically, um, to is one way to help uh, you know, kids understand what they're going through. Um, but I would really just again I think play is one of the most important things that we can offer and just staying

aware of how what kids

are telling us through their play.

Rebecca Solomon (23:18)
And you probably see that calm in them, say before a procedure. You might you might play a game of Uno, going back to Uno, because it might calm them before they're g literally

Kelsey Mayer (23:26)
Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Rebecca Solomon (23:29)
getting ready to say have a trach removed or um something like that, right?

Kelsey Mayer (23:31)
Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. I think there's so many different examples of how we might uh address um anxieties or fears or questions. Um

You know, and one thing that's

really beautiful about Blythedale is uh and different than in other, you know, more acute settings is most of our patients and residents and families are out and about and, you know, meeting each other and socializing. And one thing that happens along

that as well is there's questions, right? There's more questions both about what somebody else has, what is that they often might be reflecting a little bit back on what does that mean for me? Um

and so even through the social opportunities and being out and about, we use

uh different therapeutic avenues to help explore what questions are popping up because you made a friend and they have this medical um device that you've never seen before and obviously keeping hip by inpatient confidentiality there's still a piece of of ne kids needing to understand what they're seeing in their environment, understanding what's in their environment and so we definitely help our um our

patients understand what they're seeing, what they're going through. But to your point that, you know, Uno calms somebody, we come up with coping plans to help, you know, determine what is the right you know, point of interaction for a procedure going in. We as a again as child like specialists, we kind of identify kids as either helpers, you know, active copers, meaning they want a job during their procedure. And they're like, okay, what what's gonna be your job? Other kids prefer to take a back seat and

Rebecca Solomon (24:39)
patients

Kelsey Mayer (25:08)
you know,

Rebecca Solomon (25:08)
you

Kelsey Mayer (25:09)
just diversion's the most important thing for them. So we'll line up a game or a show and um but we also use uh as a child life specialist again uh specifically narration and um different ways to help kids understand what's happening to their bodies. But you know, we also have these other clinical opportunities like melodic motion for music therapy and our art therapy groups and our junior chef opportunities for therapeutic recreation where we're

We're

integrating uh more um unique skill sets of our discipline

team to give opportunity for kids to have that outlet, that exploration time, that focus time. It kind of really bridges a lot of different needs at once. um

But it's, you know, we really try to diversify our offerings as a team to ensure that we can have something

for everyone.

Rebecca Solomon (26:03)
That's great. And you you do a great job at that, you know. There really is something for everyone. I mean, you know, we've talked about it throughout this episode, but from music to art to recreation, developmental activities, and and they really they are it's fun and and they can

Kelsey Mayer (26:20)
Yeah.

Rebecca Solomon (26:20)
look like simple moments of fun, but they can have a much deeper purpose in that medical environment. I mean, we just talked about that educational value.

For a child learning what's

Kelsey Mayer (26:28)
Mm-hmm.

Rebecca Solomon (26:29)
actually going on. Um, what do you wish more people understood about the therapeutic value of play and creativity?

Kelsey Mayer (26:37)
Hmm. Oh, such a great question.

S honestly, sometimes I think we overcomplicate play and developmental time.

that it's it's just such an inherent need. Uh and so it's it's more organic to me. I I we could probably do a whole podcast on just the the different um clinical expertise areas of play and the types of play and the goals of play, but sometimes what I I just want everyone to just

Globally

understand the importance. And

because it's comfort, because it's connection, it's all of these things.

so it's just the inherent value that I think sometimes we as adults might get a little bit distracted from or far away from.

But we recognize the importance in in kids, but I hope that we as adults also recognize the importance for ourselves. It's our leisure, it's our coping, it's our comfort again. Um so we to me it's I just hope that everyone can just kind of be reminded that play is just something that we all need. And I think if we kind of zoom it out to something we all need, it makes more sense than maybe just a child or

you know,

a certain type of play.

it's it's just more of an inherent need.

Rebecca Solomon (27:59)
right, we know another big part of play in many ways, but also

comfort and calm and and just great energy all around is

one of your newer members of the team, your your four legged member of the team,

Kelsey Mayer (28:12)
Yeah.

Rebecca Solomon (28:12)
Twister. Tell me about Twister and and this idea of animal intervention at our hospital. Yeah,

Kelsey Mayer (28:18)
yeah, so we were very

Rebecca Solomon (28:18)
were

Kelsey Mayer (28:19)
excited to welcome our facility dog Twister in May of this year. he is part of our larger animal assisted intervention program at Blythedale. And specifically Twister and his handlers, w who is our assistant director of childlife and creative arts, Janine and our manager of therapeutic recreation, Christian, you know, being able to match a dog with also clinical care providers just deepens the value.

value of having a dog in in therapeutic work. But it's it's also unique in that a facility dog is a dog that comes to work Monday through Friday.

a working dog,

he's a lovely working dog. He's very playful, he's sweet. but the value added to our program is just um I I think we have only just begun to understand the depth of uh impact that Twister specifically has within our organization. Um and we are just so thrilled to have the addition of this program. It has already um

brought so much comfort to so many and also has been a a great

great

tool to integrate into therapy work.

think it just really speaks

to the organic connection of animals and people. And again, I I guess I'm trying not to overcomplicate

some of these things that we have within our program because it's so guided by just human connection and what we seek. And so animal connection is one of those. And it's it is interesting to see the differences of people when they're interacting with an animal. Um, even just bringing these these opportunities.

opportunities into a hospital setting. It does catch some people off guard, but it's kinda like, whoa,

all right, let's let's like look at that a little bit more. But

again, it's really a therapeutic tool, and we're just so eager to continue building this piece of our program.

Rebecca Solomon (30:08)
Well, and I might

add, Twister also makes a great um addition to the staff, and I think the staff

Kelsey Mayer (30:14)
Yes.

Rebecca Solomon (30:15)
also benefits from Twister's rounds.

When he visits. Yeah, you know, so it's

Kelsey Mayer (30:18)
Yes. Twister Tuesday.

Rebecca Solomon (30:22)
it's in this case, you're not only helping the patients and their families, and you're also helping staff

add a little brightness to the day. Yes, for sure. He is a instant

Kelsey Mayer (30:30)
Yes, for sure. He is a instant mood booster.

Rebecca Solomon (30:34)
mood booster. For

If you could leave families with one message as they begin a challenging medical journey with their child, what would you want them to know about healing and the support that's available to them?

Kelsey Mayer (30:46)
that's a it's a great question. I I feel like the first

word that kind of comes to mind is uh to be patient with yourself, you know, and that kind of feels maybe hard to say because I do think there's some

pressure to, you know, figure out what's next and how to get through. Um but I just I I always want to caution anyone to be a little bit more patient and allow things to kind of unfold um

and for you to feel that you can respond and figure it out. Not everything has to be, you know, right now. And so especially when when the families are making it to Blythedale, I think they've had this pretty tough trajectory and I often reflect that at Blythedale. It's usually our family's first opportunity

To take a breath. Um, and so I really encourage everyone to take a breath. And then I, you know, was was thinking about this and I thought to myself, like, gosh, there's just so much support

in this building, specifically, you know, our team and all of our other um departments within Blythedale that I just want to encourage families to let us wrap our services around them, to to feel supported. Um

And to and you know, and to be open to maybe asking for support or, you know, that we want to be here to be supportive of your journey. Um, we're all here because we want to help you go wherever you're going and get there

you know, in a in just, you know, just honestly to get there. This is so hard. There's so many things and so I think patience is one, just to be delicate with yourself, but then, you know, to breathe and and allow the support in.

Rebecca Solomon (32:29)
It's a great message. It's wonderful. Well, I do have one more question for you. how would you describe the meaning of hope? Hmm.

Kelsey Mayer (32:40)
Hmm.

So I kind

of live by this one quote I have seen years ago and it just kinda sat with me as this tr a single strand of hope is a very powerful thing. and I don't know if that really defines hope much, but I just think it's something that I hold with me every day is that um you don't need much of it. You just need to have it. Um and you need to know it's there. Um

and I just have a

visual in my head of hope with, you know, it's all of us pulling our single strands of hope together as well. Um and, you know, so I might have mine might be thinning, but maybe yours you have more strands and you're and we're gonna share it. And so I just think that hope is a little bit um a, you know, an intangible thing, but that's something that we feel when we're connected and um

I don't know, I just think that it you know, we just continue to hope for yourself and for others and it's I think of it more of a community, I guess.

Rebecca Solomon (33:45)
That's great. Maybe you could change the um department name from T DSS to Hope because really that is what your department

Kelsey Mayer (33:52)
Yeah.

Rebecca Solomon (33:53)
is, actually. And think of how it's evolved through the years

Kelsey Mayer (33:57)
Yes.

Rebecca Solomon (33:58)
since you got here and what you've created. Um, thank you for all you're doing and continue to do at Blythedale.

Kelsey Mayer (34:04)
Oh, thank you.

Yeah, I'm I am um

definitely thrilled with uh our team and our history and I'm even e more eager and enthusiastic about our future and so you know I often uh am always forward thinking of what's next and what else can we do. Um but I think that's just because the vibrancy of our hospital and population just encourages us to continue encourages us to continue exploring and creating and having hope to be honest. You know, it's

It's one of those things where it's like we're gonna keep doing this because because people need us too. And so um I would love to be along that journey

and continue to build a department that is full of resources for anyone that needs something.

Rebecca Solomon (34:52)
That's great. Thank you so much, Kelsey. I appreciate your time and this conversation.

Kelsey Mayer (34:57)
Yeah, thanks for having me.

Rebecca Solomon (34:59)
Absolutely. And we hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of Journeys of Hope. If you have ideas for future topics, we'd love to hear from you. Podcast at Blythale.org. And of course, don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and like and follow us on social media. Thank you so much, and we'll see you next time.