Melony Robinson is the mom to an adorable three-year-old, E.R., who was born with Trisomy 21. She first heard of Care Options for Kids through a social worker who was helping her find assistance to care for her baby.
“He had a kidney transplant, which required a lot of close monitoring,” explains Melony as she sits down to recount her experiences with Care Options for Kids. “We had to calculate his urine output, check his blood pressure multiple times a day, and be strict with the amount of fluids he could take, so it’s good to have someone help us.” That someone is actually a team of nurses — two daytime nurses, and three night time nurses — and E.R. has adjusted really well to all of them. “His favorite one is Lucy,” Melony laughs. “He gets really happy to see her.”
E.R. also gets about 90% of his nutrition through a g-tube. Melony, her husband, and all his nurses provide g-tube feedings for him, including several feedings throughout the night. This makes having the night nurses even more helpful for his parents, since they are also taking care of E.R.’s five-year-old sibling.
“We try to give him a sense of normalcy as much as possible,” states Melony. “He sleeps through the night, and we’re working on getting him to have some of his meals orally. It’s taking time for him to get used to foods and textures. Sometimes he likes them. Other times, he spits them out. My husband and I like to help him with that as much as possible. It’s easier on weekends, but during the week, when we’re at work, it’s nice to have the nurses help us.”
Even though E.R. prefers to be with family, he’s adjusted well to having his team of nurses as well as his regular medical providers. “He’s actually Mr. Personality around them,” Melony recounts. “He really likes dancing, and he likes to have dance parties with the nurses. He likes to watch the movie Trolls with them. He’s the friendliest little thing you’ve ever seen. When we take him to outpatient therapy, everyone’s excited to see him. He waves his hand at everyone as he arrives, as if he were a king, and he blows kisses when he leaves. Even therapists who don’t work with him come out to say hello.”
All in all, Melony’s glad she has several someones to help provide good care for her son. “They know E.R. and I can trust them,” she cooed. With Care Options for Kids, that peace of mind is something you can bank on.
