As this global pandemic has been enveloping us, my four-year-old son started displaying symptoms of the very thing we were social distancing from. Although I knew the odds of a child having this virus were small, it was hard to ignore the persistent cough for two weeks and a fever of around 101 degrees for three to four days. I knew it was time to call our doctor. The on-call pediatrician at the Intermountain Layton Parkway Clinic, Catherine Strasser, MD, was kind and talked to me about my options. I felt comfortable at the time and knew if anything changed they’d get me in that day in the afternoon.
The next day our son’s fever went up to 105 and I felt the need to call again. We were given an appointment time and upon arrival three friendly faces behind masks greeted us. I explained we had an appointment and they gave us masks for my son and I as well as a green wrist band and let us on our way. Our four-year-old at no point felt scared. He was cared for primarily by Sarah Drenning, a nurse practitioner, and everyone involved took extra care to make our son feel at ease.
It was comforting to see all the protective measures being taken and how kind everyone was. It could have been intimidating to see doctors and nurses fully gowned upon entering the exam room, but their kindness and comforting actions proved otherwise. My son never felt afraid and although he didn’t last the entire time with the mask on (he felt it was kind of hard to breathe with it on after so long), he was relaxed and even fell asleep. We’re so glad there are professional people willing to do a professional job because they care — not just because they’re getting paid.
My son has recovered and is doing well now, thanks in part to the great care he received from Intermountain.