21 Sep Partner Spotlight: Katiuska Silva, Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Nurse

To Katiuska Silva, it’s important to get down to her patients’ level. She spends countless hours building that trust, but nothing compares to a parents’ unconditional love, and sometimes, the endless energy of a younger sibling.

Katiuska Silva
Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Nurse
Holtz Children’s Hospital &
The Women’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial

Written by Paloma Suarez

Katiuska Silva, a devoted nurse at Holtz Children’s Hospital, shares some profound insights into the role of family support in pediatric care. As a nurse in the bone marrow transplant unit, Katiuska witnesses the journeys of countless young patients, including RMHCSF’S very own Dmytri Alexander.

Upon Dmytri’s arrival at Holtz Children’s for a bone marrow transplant to address his stage 4 neuroblastoma – the diagnosis, coupled with the procedures and medications, began to erode his mental well-being. “He didn’t even want to eat, let alone play” Katiuska remarks. “I remember when Dmytri’s mom would cook his favorite meals at the Ronald Mcdonald House kitchen. This made a huge difference – he started eating better, as he didn’t like the hospital food at all,” shared Katiuska. “Having that touch of home truly impacted his treatment journey”.

Katiuska’s role as a nurse requires her to truly understand her patient’s mindset – nurses are caretakers, friends, and sources of support for patients undergoing pediatric care, all in one. “As a pediatric nurse, you really have to put yourself in the shoes of these kids, get to their level to establish trust” Katiuska states, as she reminisces on her countless Minecraft discussions and hours spent in the playroom with Dmytri. “When his sister came, his attitude shifted. As someone who spent every day with him, I really watched him become a kid again, even just for a glimpse. He was playing like I had never seen.”

Dmytri’s remarkable resilience, coupled with his family’s unwavering presence, emphasizes the critical role of family unity during these challenging times.