In celebration of Thanksgiving, members of the CHOC pediatric health care system express what they’re most grateful for this year.
“I am so grateful to work for an organization that I love, and am truly honored and humbled that I get to walk into these halls every day. I am grateful to the parents of our little ones at CHOC for their trust and for giving us the opportunity to serve them. This year, I am especially thankful for my amazing team of child life specialists. I could not imagine this journey without their loyalty, laughter and unconditional support. Happy Thanksgiving CHOC and thank you for giving me the opportunity to do what I love.” – Chloe Krikac, child life specialist
“I am so very thankful to be a nurse here at CHOC, one of the leaders in children’s healthcare. The hard work, dedication and compassion that I see in the NICU makes me proud to be a part of such a wonderful organization. I am humbled and thankful to the parents and families that allow me to care for their most precious gifts each, and every day.” – Bridgette Glass, RN, neonatal intensive care unit
“As we at Pediatric & Adult Medicine reach the first anniversary of having joined CHOC Primary Care Network, I am grateful to be part of a health care system that is dedicated to providing the best care for children. When I came to CHOC 20 years ago as a resident, I knew it was a special place for patients, their families and the people that worked there. Though the hospital and the services that we are able to provide have expanded beyond what I could have imagined, it remains a special place for children and the people who care for them.” – Dr. Angela Dangvu, CHOC pediatrician
“There are so many things to be thankful for this year! I am incredibly thankful that I was able to become a part of the amazing CHOC health care system this year. I am thankful to get to work with the extremely dedicated care providers here who have such a passion for helping children and families. I am also immensely thankful for the community involvement in developing the new Mental Health Inpatient Center. With such strong community support and CHOC leadership commitment around the Mental Health initiative I get to be a part of something very special and for that I am truly thankful!” –Dani Miliken, RN, clinical director of CHOC’s mental health inpatient center
“I am so thankful that CHOC help to provide me the opportunity to earn my BSN this past year. I look forward to applying this knowledge to be able to better care for my patients for many years to come.” – Barbara Mazurek, RN, hematology/oncology unit
“I am thankful, honored and humbled to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of CHOC Hospital. Our Board of Directors is passionately committed to see CHOC continue its rapid ascent as one of the premier children’s hospitals in the United States. Driven by a highly talented, dedicated and passionate team of doctors, nurses and staff, CHOC provides exceptional and innovative care for every child we serve.” –David Dukes- Chair, CHOC Board of Directors
“We’re thankful to CHOC for helping to create The Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department. After we met the child life specialists and saw the way they help patients navigate changes in their young lives, and the way patients interact with child life’s specialty services such as pet therapy dogs and Red Nose Docs, we knew this was the perfect gift from Cherese. If she can see what a difference she is making we think she is smiling. We have since become closer with The CHOC Foundation staff and the Child Life Department staff. Our hearts overflow with gratitude and thankfulness every time someone thanks us for Cherese’s gift.” –Chris and Larry Laulhere, who on behalf of The Cherese Mari Laulhere Foundation, generously donated $5 million to CHOC’s child life department
“This year I am thankful for CHOC for so many reasons- this has been one of the hardest years of my life, being diagnosed with and treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. My care team at CHOC has been nothing short of amazing. My oncologist, Dr. Kirov, has done a great job treating my stubborn cancer and working with things often not going the way he expects. My social worker and case coordinator have done everything they possibly can to connect me to scholarships, foundations, etc. so that I can take advantage of all the resources available to me. And I’m especially thankful for Kara and the rest of the child life department for putting on fun events and always brightening my day by coming to visit me!” –Brianna Miller, patient
“Working at CHOC has been a dream I didn’t even know I had. I’m unspeakably grateful for my family, our health, and the abundance of opportunity in our lives. I try to remind myself of this every day in little ways…like if there a pile of dirty laundry on the floor that is actually awesome because it means we all have clothes on our backs. I’m grateful for my patients who show me grace, kindness, patience and humor everyday…even when they have their own struggles and frustrations. I’m grateful for the colleagues in my practice for providing me with an opportunity to grow a medical practice and serve the community. I’m also grateful for the heart work and diligence of our orthopedic residents, who I get to teach every day.” –Dr. Jessica McMichael, pediatric orthopaedic surgeon
“I am thankful for the trust of our patients and families. With the strong support of many highly trained pediatric specialists, our newly-opened all private room neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is proud to offer, among other services, lifesaving surgeries for premature infants in Orange County.” –Dr. Yigit Guner, pediatric general and thoracic surgeon
“I am grateful to be part of an integrated pediatric and general hospital where child-specific and family-centered care is so greatly emphasized. I am especially thankful to those CHOC staff members working where both children and adults are seen (emergency department, radiology department, and operating rooms), and for making quality care for children in these shared service areas such a high priority.” –Dr. Kenneth Kwon, director of pediatric emergency services at Mission Hospital, and chief of staff at CHOC at Mission Hospital
