Mikayla, 6, spent March through June 2023 in our Betty Irene Moore Children’s Heart Center while she waited for a heart transplant. One comfort to Mikayla and her family was child life specialist Christine Tao, MS, CCLS. Tao was one of the few people who could soothe Mikayla during her procedures and the frequent dressing changes. Today, Mikayla is feeling great with her new heart, and Tao still goes out of her way to say “hi” to Mikayla when she returns for checkups.
“My patients and families are the most resilient and bravest cardiac warriors I’ve ever met. … It’s such an honor to be a part of their stories, to support them during some of their most vulnerable moments, and to celebrate alongside them in their victories.”
—Christine Tao, MS, CCLS, child life specialist in the Heart Center
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of the Packard Children’s News.
