I see my job as a phlebotomist as the key to the answer for what might be going on beneath the surface for a patient. If you don’t have bloodwork, then doctors are left guessing. But if I do my job right, then they can get some answers for patients and families. 

I met Charley about a decade ago after she had her first kidney transplant. She would come into the outpatient clinic once a week to get her blood drawn. I got to know her very well, along with what she does and doesn’t like when caring for her. For example, Charley doesn’t like Band-aids! 

Families say that I’m a calming presence in the room. They also tell me that I’ve got a gift for making those pokes painless for kids, and that’s magical.