Truly, I believe that everything happens for a reason. So when I got to work the other day and was assigned one particular patient – it wasn’t supposed to occur any other way. When I got report, the person from the night before told me that I would ‘love him.’ Well that was an understatement. 

So 7:30 in the morning I march into my patient’s room expecting to find the 6 year old little boy still sleeping. Oh no, my friends. He was wide awake, bright eyed and bushy-tailed, playing his Nintendo DS. 

His first words to me? And I quote, “You’re short. And you look funny.” (Good morning Kristen. Welcome to work!) In his defense I am short and I have different features that make me look… different? Or in his book funny. But he’s a kid. They speak their mind and don’t give a care in the world whether it’s appropriate or not. 

So naturally I just kind of smiled and introduced myself. Meanwhile, the patient’s mom was apologizing for him over and over. Then all of the sudden she blurted out, “Did you take growth hormone?”

(Oh boy. This conversation was getting better by the minute.)

That’s when I realized that my little patient actually had dwarfism in conjunction with a slue of other issues. So you can imagine where the conversation went from there. After explaining all that I had been through to mom, she asked the one question that I had been hoping she would.

Who was my doctor?

Just knowing that I can recommend the most skilled orthopedic surgeon in the world to a family who would benefit from his expertise makes my heart soar. I gave mom everything that there was to know about Dr. Paley and his team. She then asked for my email so we could keep in touch. Obviously I obliged.

That afternoon, I had the pleasure of sending them home. By that point, the little boy and I had become friends. Before getting into the car, mom came over and hugged me. “It’s funny how things work out isn’t it? You are a walking inspiration. Thank you for sharing your story. We will be in touch. God Bless.”

Walking back into the hospital, I fought back tears. That is all I want to do in life – share my story and make a difference. 

Lucky for me, that day, I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Love.