“A ray of sunshine in our darkest of days” – Family Testimonial

It’s stories like this that make our jobs here at A Nanny for U so fulfilling. We get to work with amazing families everyday and find them great nannies who are more than just a nanny. They’re apart of your family. We love being able to help in all situations families are facing. We’re so fortunate to have met and helped this sweet family. Read more below to see how their journey in hiring a nanny has been!


When our 13 month old daughter, Imogen, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) we were scared and grasping for any sense of normalcy we could offer her. As we tried to processed this new life she would have, we were comforted by stories from families, athletes, entrepreneurs and even a Supreme Court Justice living with this disease, all assuring us our daughter would have every opportunity and not be restricted from anything.  That optimism was quickly extinguished when we went in to discuss her new restrictions and increased attention and care needed with our daycare provider. Imogen was now an infant who needed every carbohydrate eaten to be counted and covered with the proper amount of insulin that was dosed based on  manual calculations and administered 10-12 times per day via injection, blood glucose readings taken at least every 3 hours, and the possible administration of Emergency Glucagon Injection (kind of like an Epi-Pen for diabetics) if her blood glucose got too low. Granted, T1D is an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protected chronic condition, but they were not comfortable taking this on in a high-volume childcare setting and neither were we.

 

So there we were, heartbroken and angry that this diseases that was already going to take so much from our child, was also going to take her ability to attend daycare and possibly my ability to continue working. I contacted several other daycare centers in the area and was met with very carefully worded statements about why they could not take our daughter (“not due to discrimination, we assure you!”) or unreturned voicemails and emails.

 

Thankfully, I was already a temporary care client with A Nanny for U. I had discovered them originally with several positive placements for back-up care offered though my company’s program. I reached out to Rebecca and told her our story; she and her team started the process immediately.  Due to the medical aspect of our need, we were originally told that the process could take weeks to months to find the right care giver; that was fine with us as the right nanny was more important then speed. I was fortunate enough to take a temporary leave of absence from work, but we were still anxious to move into this new phase of our day to day routine and get Imogen paired with her nanny. The process consisted of an initial home visit from the A Nanny for U team (shout out to Cassandra!), screening and interviewing several qualified candidates, and assistance on building a customized contract that fit our Imogen and our family’s needs. In reality, this was all very quick and we were able to find the right nanny and get her started within 3 weeks.

 

I’m thrilled to report that just a little over 8 months later, Imogen is thriving under her nanny, Fiona’s care.  She has become a trusted and loved member of our home and is as knowledgeable with Imogen’s diabetes care as her father and I are.  We have complete trust in her and have a very open dialogue about care decisions and adjustments needed the constant surprises T1D throws our way.  She can count carbs, adjust insulin ratios, pre-bolus, and analyze continue glucose monitoring trend lines with the best of them!  Just as importantly though, she is also committed to Imogen’s social and development milestones and the care of our older children and home.  Her job is not easy, but she does it with grace, all per negotiated parameters laid out in our contract.

 

When I was asked to write this blog post, I didn’t hesitate as I hope it offers hope to other families experiencing medical hardships like we were.  To those faced with the prospect of giving up their job or livelihood because they cannot find safe and adequate care for their child, there are people who are willing to take a chance and do the hard work for you.  I think it’s important to stress that our nanny had no previous medical, let alone T1D experience, but was willing to learn to care for our daughter alongside us as part of our agreement.  This placement was possible because of the care, communication, and transparency that A Nanny for U offered during the screening and interview period.  We are forever grateful that both A Nanny for U and the amazing woman they placed with us, were willing to take on the added challenge. This was truly a ray sunshine in our darkest of days.

 

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Kristi

 

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