My heart sank. I thought to myself, “What am I going to do?” Well, I immediately knew what I wasn’t going to do - #cantcomplain. To be 100% open and honest, at first I slipped a bit and made a call. I caught myself, pulled myself together and stuck to the guidelines. When a family member called me back, I was able to create a cover story and hold myself together.
Now, some people may be interested in what I’m talking about, but I don’t want to get in trouble. I won’t forget the conversation I had with a portion of our senior leadership team when I wanted to update our artists and partners that there may be some delays. Before the days of the vaccine, I tested positive for COVID-19. That meant that I would have to stay FAR away from the cards and there would likely be more delays. After a brief discussion, my agreed silence made sense.
COVID-19 attacks the lungs
Lungs control breathing
Still able to breathe
Therefore, “I’m breathing, so I can’t complain.”
I kept both bouts with COVID quiet.
People were disappointed that there was a delay in our counting of cards and other processes, but we had a delay during our prior record-setting period and were doing our best. Then there was some other discouraging news taking place and I wasn’t sure what were the best next steps.
But then something eye-opening happened. I had a phone call and chatted with the mother
of one of my all-time favorite patients. She updated me on her daughter’s status and the entire process. During that call, I got her perspective on something that we discussed before and later received a direct request for a particular Disney princess.
I immediately realized that in comparison, my situation was quite mild.
With those conversations and some feedback from our partners, I understand most of us should remain thankful. There are some people who are upset that they don’t get notifications fast enough, and we’re sorry for that. There are others who are disappointed that they don’t see their cards in the hands of patients at local hospitals on a consistent basis. Once again, we’re sorry. But we must ask you to keep it ALL IN PERSPECTIVE. You’re giving back and making a difference, and we’re catering to the patients’ needs. Although things may not always be ideal, we can all remain thankful for the impact.