Patient finds comfort in visit to Lodi WIC

October 2, 2024  0  23   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The person at the front desk said, ‘I’m so sorry to hear that. It’s going to be all right. We’re here to support you.’  She was gentle in the way she was asking questions. She was so caring in how she approached it.”

 

 

“It was the first time I had been out in a few days because I was really struggling with the loss,” Janet says. “They asked, ‘How far along are you?’ I told them I’d lost the baby. They were just very empathetic.

 

“I recently lost my baby via miscarriage. The women in the WIC office were so kind and gentle. Their kindness got me through that morning. These women made me feel comfortable. And they were incredibly professional.”

— A patient at Lodi WIC

 

 

 

The words were written by a recent visitor to Lodi WIC who wanted her name kept private but still wanted to thank the kind staff members who helped her on that difficult day earlier this summer. We’ll call her Janet.

 

 

She was about six weeks into her pregnancy when she miscarried. Janet phoned WIC staff to tell them she had lost her baby and no longer needed to come in for her existing appointment. But she was told to come in anyway, because she could still receive WIC benefits for six months through a program for mothers who have lost a baby.

 

 

Lidia Michel, a clerk at Lodi WIC, recalls Janet’s call and says her goal in such situations is to be extra kind to the patient.

 

 

“In that situation, they need guidance and they’re going through trauma,” Lidia says. “We want to show the patient that we’re here to help.”

 

 

Nutrition Aide Consuelo Cervantes adds, “We’re human. We’re women. We treat it with compassion. You have to be kind to them, and sensitive. They’re grieving. We’re just here to support them, offer them support and resources.”

 

 

Janet says she appreciates the resources she is receiving, including $47 a month for six months to purchase healthy foods. But even more, she appreciates the support she received on that difficult day.

 

 

“I was crying,” Janet says. “Every time someone asked me about it for days after, I just cried. The kind WIC staff member handed me a tissue box, held my hand, and said, ‘It’s going to be OK.’ She said, ‘It’s tough. It’s never easy. Just know that each day it’ll get a little bit better.’ They were very supportive.”