Holding families together: The quiet impact of social work at LifeScape

This piece is sponsored by LifeScape.

When Kami arrived at LifeScape Children’s Specialty Hospital in December 2024, she was fighting to survive.

Born at just 25 weeks, she had already spent the first eight months of her life in the NICU. Her lungs were not fully developed, and she relied on a ventilator to breathe. She was medically fragile, sensitive and developmentally far behind for her age. Every day required intensive nursing care, respiratory therapy and careful monitoring.

But inside the hospital, there was another critical need, one that wasn’t measured by ventilator settings or therapy milestones. Kami’s mom, Shevi, lived nearly six hours away.

“When I first met Shevi, the most immediate need I recognized was proximity and connection,” said Kellie Lee, a licensed social worker at LifeScape. “It was clear how important it was for her to be close to Kami to continue building and maintaining that bond.”

 In the early months, distance and work schedules limited how often Shevi could visit. For a medically complex child, parental presence isn’t just emotional, it’s powerful. It strengthens attachment, builds confidence and supports developmental progress. Shevi knew that.

“She made the incredibly difficult decision to leave her home across the state so she could be closer to her daughter,” Lee said. “That commitment spoke volumes about her dedication as a parent.”

March is National Social Work Month, and stories like this reveal what social work truly looks like inside pediatric health care. While physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and therapists focus on stabilizing a child’s medical needs, social workers focus on the stability of the family. Housing. Emotional support. Resource navigation. Long-term planning. The invisible pieces that determine whether a parent can remain present.

“If we can reduce stressors outside of medical care, parents can focus on their child’s journey,” Lee said.

For Shevi, that meant finding a place to stay close to the hospital. With support, she was able to stay at a Ronald McDonald House. “The Ronald McDonald House is a good, quiet place for families to go, especially while your child is hospitalized,” Shevi said.

More importantly, it meant she could be there, not once a month after a 12-hour round-trip drive, but with her daughter every single day. “The other option was to drive six hours one way to see her once a month,” Shevi said. “That wasn’t cutting it.”

Daily presence changed everything.

As the medical team carefully lowered ventilator settings and monitored Kami’s fragile lungs, Shevi was at her bedside, participating in therapies, helping with feedings, baths, cares and trach changes. The bond between mother and daughter deepened. “It means that I can help her grow,” Shevi said.

Inside LifeScape’s Children’s Specialty Hospital, the transformation has been remarkable. When Kami first arrived, progress meant surviving each day. She required high ventilator settings and frequent respiratory interventions. She could not sit, roll or move independently.

The photo below is from April 2025.

Today, she is walking, learning to talk and working toward eating by mouth. Her ventilator support has decreased significantly, and her personality shines more each day.

“She is a completely different baby than she was when she arrived,” said Beka Matson, registered nurse and Children’s Specialty Hospital care coordinator. “Watching her grow from a tiny, fragile infant into a strong toddler has been incredible. She truly is a miracle.”

But medical progress did not happen in isolation.

“The consistent presence and support from her mother has made a huge difference in her overall well-being,” Matson said. That presence was made possible through small but critical steps: securing housing, offering emotional support, navigating systems and planning for long-term stability.

“Small steps can create a foundation for long-term change,” Lee said. “When families feel supported in one area, it often opens the door for progress in others.”

Over time, Shevi moved from the Ronald McDonald House into her own one-bedroom apartment and secured employment at the very place that once provided her with refuge. “Seeing her gain stability and secure employment was incredibly rewarding,” Lee said. “It represented growth, resilience, self-motivation and confidence. It was a powerful reminder of why social work matters.”

For Lee, this is the heart of the profession. Social work is not only about helping families survive crisis. It also is about helping them build confidence and independence beyond it.

“We support not only the patient, but the entire family system,” she said. “Our role often happens behind the scenes, but it has a profound impact on a family’s ability to navigate hospitalization and move forward.”

When asked what stands out most now, Lee doesn’t point first to medical milestones. “It’s the strength of their bond,” she said. “Their connection is full of love and resilience.”

Shevi describes that relationship simply: “strong, powerful, loving.”

When Kami first came to LifeScape, Shevi remembers feeling worried and sad. What mattered most in those early days was emotional support. Today, she carries a message for other parents facing similar uncertainty. “That you’re doing a good job. Stay strong. Never give up. Always pray.”

Inside LifeScape’s Children’s Specialty Hospital, ventilators hum and therapies fill the day. Progress is measured in oxygen levels, steps taken and words spoken.

But sometimes, the most important intervention isn’t medical at all.

Sometimes, it’s making sure a mother can stay close enough to whisper, “I’m here.”

To learn more about LifeScape, visit LifeScapeSD.org.