D&C with Jen Noonan, Martha Young, and Betsy Caraboolad

Please welcome three friends of ours -- noon. Jen is a -- fund clinic dedicated developing and running support programs and activities for the adolescent and young adult population you -- close to a police say is that correct yes that's true. -- -- young on my right -- can speak about her work for the patients and families in the Jimmy Fund clinic and the Dana -- you -- the pediatric resource room -- -- -- -- find out what that's all about just a second and I know a bit and put the name and I already apologized to -- Betsy. You're glad. Is that right yeah not bad I'm gonna say it again it's true. Essentially I share a space release -- tell us the truth about nerds on actress yeah I'm the total -- owning a -- just doesn't for the cameras and you know we we can't tell her deep dark secret. Yeah we kind of contract actually. Nondisclosure contracts and get -- I wanna go find out exactly what you guys do supposedly what your day to day activities robot Jim let's start with you sure -- I am I guess for you know all of us our roles are although they get her. We kind of had the same overlaying. -- new and that's to provide support and activities for the patients and families although we have different populations that we work went. Think we all kind of work under the same umbrella and we really try and provide you know -- -- -- -- -- enclave illness throughout the -- can help these families. Get through every day and you know get through the long haul -- -- She businesses which are still project when you're of the viral specifically -- with Seattle Austin -- we see your what's your favorite event -- -- goodness -- -- an event that's such alone could extend the one thing we know we know about the girls' -- note in the Christmas party in the big. Yeah picnic for 2000. I mean so there's so many things first and foremost and I think that's kind of the beauty of the Jimmy Fund clinic in Dana Farber is that there's. There's something for everyone I just had to say that there's something for everyone. And if I had to pick one that we have aids program called faces and it's a wellness program for tween and teen girls. And it happened in the clinic after hours and it's really just a safe. Com forum for them to be able to come and meet other girls that are going through what they're going through talk about. You know their fears there hardships their joy is even the common. Talk about things like scarring and hair a lot of things that are just really difficult to talk about -- -- peers are friends or parents or doctors or even us in you know I just sort of provides that's based on. Hell better than anyone we talk about this every year it's hardest on the teens may be hardest on teen girls. You know. Maybe they go to the prom maybe not maybe they can't go up to cause him to stay home for treatment if you deal with that every day. Yeah absolutely you know I think it's definitely. It's hard for her every population for different reasons for sure come hard for parents parents or siblings but I think you're right when you say you know the teenagers definitely -- a different experience whether it's they're college -- are missing -- things like that those. Those things can be air place and also I think we really try and come and help supplement those things and some lane just provide support to help get them through. The grind of the day. Now Martha runs the pediatric resource room what other resources what happens the PDF Patrick resource room. A lot of things happen in the pediatric resource -- it's really a great place so when patient is diagnosed with cancer Dana Farber. They really believe in treating the whole family which is really important and that's sort of thus -- of the room is really how to help support the whole family through a childhood cancer diagnosis. So there's educational material. About ways they can be supported in the institute in the community and help with access to those things. And there's also a lot of a fun things that happened. That tried to combine fun and education so we have like cooking classes where kids can become chefs but also learn about. Recipes that might help them through their treatment with mouth sores -- new things. We have music therapy. And lots of programs have really help -- help them thrive through treatment and what's your favorite. -- and that because no thanks Nancy because you love I think I only really entirely love music therapy. Just because. Every time there's some awesome performance and I go get the girls in the office and they're the best audience ever and held that likes to join the -- has the worst singing voice low -- -- No we know how -- wanna -- married to Justin Bieber in it from the clinic who was singing that comes the bride was a -- that that would be the using -- therapist who she fondly refers to as the wedding singer a wedding to guy. It was their musical. He's instrument instruments and yes he played guitar player via car all the new tell -- -- -- whose idea was it to take care. Clay Buchholz and dress -- -- -- yeah it was a. At the last minute group decision and I think -- can decisions is -- wet weather that think. That lets you might get you in front of the microphone you can speak about the wonderful patients and families you work for this part of the stem cell transplant treatment program -- about that. So I am on my kids are isolated for six months to a year so I -- -- -- -- pride activities and unlike you I'm. Most of the kids there are not able to participate. And then some of activities and events that. Our house so I try to bring those to them -- -- isolation rooms. You pretty much operate -- these children in a germ free isolation room yet which limits their ability to do stuff that we see all the other kids when we walk through there. Right so I try to create the same atmosphere in the primaries for them so whether it's sitting up hockey games for them all are setting up a couple class are. -- anyone they wanna do I tried provides. How isolated are they are the parents and the relatives allowed in there with them and if the answer to that is just how they get in there -- not take the germs from the outside world into this isolation room. So my America in the house and there are allowed to and see their parents and their siblings are allowed to come and you are moved. And then once they are. -- make it out of the hospital they are. Aren't able to. BAA at home and be able to see -- -- -- other kids in other people when they're outside hand area that's open arms. And spent anywhere in confined area they can't be with anybody besides their team and so. Their family members and they were well Wear masks and so make sure that they don't -- contracting H and I. I'd like to three of you to address the rewards of your job and yet the pain. At the price that you have to pay based on the nature of us who you're dealing with and and what sometimes the end result is not what you want it to me how do you reconcile. The rewards that you get by helping these kids and we see every time we come over there how how much you love them and how much you care about them and how rewarding it is. But sometimes there's a very -- price to pay a deal of the day. -- army you know it's definitely it's. It's a tricky balance -- shore and they think we would all say that we act. So lucky to have our jobs. The reward we get is if you can't put it into words you know and I think that's kind event. A team that runs throughout the clinic from us to the nurses to the front desk staff everyone is there because they wanna be there. The flip side to battle like you say is that there are tough days. And music really trying to they're free to other. Really try and make sure that everyone system and having a tough day that that where there and we support each other you know and I think that. These patients and families you know we choose to walk through these stories every day and go to work and the -- -- feelings don't and that's ultimately what what keeps us going as we know we need to. Help can be there for them in whatever way we -- How do you not take it home with -- my thumb and I know. You guys go to those who -- funerals to -- I'm unfortunately there are really hard days I don't think there's any way around that but. You're gonna hear this word a lot today and tomorrow during the telethon and that's family and I think. That when you go through a hard time in your life you turned your family and the Jimmy Fund clinic is a family in and of itself and -- that for each other. And the families are that for each other and so I think that that really helps get through the hard times. Let's see -- you can imagine that we we know we do a little bit to go over there and and and go home and I wrote about this today. You get a kid communicated kid like any run reuse. I couldn't stop thinking about it will mean for days and since I. How does he go through that I was mother go through that is the little brother to deal with that you do and then every day. How did I just a moment and I'll put the sudden come to life. I think I mean. Every David joys outweigh any sadness that there is and so that's much more powerful. Than any kind of hard data we might have. We really really have the most wonderful jobs on the planet. To be able to come in and have fun every day and learn from these families. It's the lessons they learned that just get you throw. Any other hard time they might face. I don't think that this job Betsy -- unlike any others gives you some sort of grounding in some sort of priorities in your life that maybe if you were doing something else you're working for a lot firmer you're working for accounting firm you wouldn't have this kind of perspective about what's important we talked early about. We're going for dinner what kind of closure you know we're those kinds of things I -- the structure of sets all that in perspective freedoms and ultimate. I was completely doesn't mean the first day that I started working there you just. The move it. You see families and a completely different light and you don't you realize all the little things in life don't even matter at some time about being there for your family and supporting one another and -- And you don't realize that when you are not in a situation like we are every single day. Do you are you able to not take bad days home with you deserve some way that you have a ability and ability to say okay. That's there this is here and I can leave it alone or can you do that. I'm mad like to say they do every single day I try Tim. And spent I have found that says I am like Texas exercise and Ireland but it's hard to not take work home video. And so you just you just try to do it and but these are amazing these kids make such an impression on you then that at times it is very difficult to just. He'll do you still can complain when you and break a nail. Somebody got too often traffic gets control yeah I definitely links don't think about it. At least for one day we leave us citizen journalist time just for this day after relieve the clinic in some because we often traffic democracy a bad word -- when Danielle and I'm not gonna come off -- and as a result it all gets put in perspective -- -- 24 hour window cores yeah this one in four hours and good for 24 hours. Hi John Noonan Martha young Betsy Carlos -- blue led thanks very much thank you for what you do we appreciate you getting up early in coming insuring your stories with us thank -- and -- -- --