By Ellen Smith, MS, CCLS
I was 16 years old working as a tutor when a frustrated and defeated 10-year-old came to me with a question about a difficult math problem. After working through the problem together so that she understood, she proudly announced to me, "Your brain helped my brain!" Tears welled up in my eyes as I became acutely aware of how present I felt in that moment and how valuable it felt to make a difference. I quickly realized that by making a genuine connection with this child, I was able to empower and support her in more ways than just solving the math problem. I decided on that day to keep mental note of the "your brain helped my brain" moments that teach me the power of human connection and remind me of the value of being present in a moment. I've experienced several of these moments through my life and career, and by taking note of them, I have noticed that there is space for genuine interactions, even in the simplest of moments.
In college, I was working at a medical camp when I had another "your brain helped my brain" moment. The week of camp for burn survivors was coming to an end, and a 14-year-old camper was filling out his end-of-camp survey, when he came to the question, "on a scale of 0-100, how would you rate this week at camp?" Without an ounce of hesitation, he slid the scale to 100 and turned to me to say "that's mostly because of you." This camper went on to share his story, his journey, his challenges, and his triumphs, along with his truth that this camp had been the only week of the year where he felt seen and truly at home. As tears welled up in my eyes yet again, I realized that not only had I impacted this camper's life, but he also had changed mine. Because of the interaction I shared with this camper and the story that he shared with me, I gained a new perspective that led me to pursue my child life career in the critical care setting. Because I was intentionally present with this camper then, I discovered a path that led me to where I am now.
Eight months into my career as a child life specialist, I received a sweet card from an 9-year-old patient at the hospital. As he tearfully handed it to me, he said, "I'm crying happy tears because I got to meet someone so special, and I am going to miss you." Admittedly, the IV support and normalization play that I had provided for this child during the one day that I knew him made for what felt like an ordinary encounter. Eight months into my career, it seems that I had already found it I realized in that moment how easy it can be to forget that I get to work in a career in which my "ordinary encounters" allow me to be a difference maker every day.
As I reflect on these and so many other "your brain helped my brain" moments, I am reminded and humbled by the power of genuine human interaction. I find it incredible and awe-inspiring that the smallest, most seemingly mundane moments often make much bigger impacts than we could ever know. I have spent the last several years taking this awe-inspiring truth with me into every encounter I enter. From celebrating the child who is getting to go home after a long and scary admission, to empowering the one with a new chronic illness, to playing pranks with the one who just wants to be a kid on the last day of his life, and to so many other encounters in between, I have had the opportunity to experience countless powerful and awe-inspiring moments in this sweet child life career.
To each child life specialist reading this, let this be a reminder to notice. Notice the impact of your day-to-day interactions, notice the joy on your patient's face when you help them realize that they can overcome the hurdle in front of them, and notice the beautiful moments that you get to have right in front of you every single day in this career. Notice and remember that you are a difference maker right where you are.