Mary Elizabeth McNair’s dream was to help children. Working with Prisma Health Child Life? Dream come true.
#PrismaHealth’s Mary Elizabeth McNair, Child Life Specialist Assistant Intern and @ClemsonLifeCU student, arrives for work with a smile on her face, ready to offer comfort, care and joy to children facing the uncertainty and stress that can sometimes be a part of receiving medical care.
“My favorite part about my job is interacting with the kids and seeing who is going to be on my caseload that day,” said McNair. “Every Thursday and Friday, I get to put on my work clothes and go to my favorite workplace!”
Alex McNair, Mary Elizabeth’s father, noted that their family feels that Mary Elizabeth is a piece of “God’s grace” on Earth. They were surprised to learn she would face lifelong challenges due to a developmental disability. However, Mary Elizabeth sees every challenge as something to rise to meet, and she’s consistently excelled at everything she does.
As a young child, Mary Elizabeth told her family that it was her dream to grow up and become a Child Life Specialist, working with children and families to provide support during difficult times.
Was it a challenging goal for her future? Maybe. But Mary Elizabeth has never let a challenge stop her, and not only did she accomplish her career goal, she’s beloved by coworkers and community members alike.
“Mary Elizabeth was the first ClemsonLIFE student to join our Child Life Team,” said Taylor Windell, manager of the Child Life & Special Programs program at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Upstate. “A former patient, she was very interested in the field and we were thrilled to bring her on.”
ClemsonLIFE is a @clemsonuniversitycollegeof5784 college experience for students with learning or physical disabilities. The LIFE aspect stands for Learning Is For Everyone, and the ClemsonLIFE program felt Mary Elizabeth would benefit from her time with Child Life. Her experience has been a joyful success.
“Some of my patients are scared to go into surgery,” said McNair. “So a Child Life Specialist says, ‘Let’s do the doctor area with this patient. She’s about to have a procedure and she needs to be comforted.’ It’s important for kids to be able to play and be themselves.”
As a member of the Prisma Health team, Mary Elizabeth McNair shows how important it is for our team to be there not just to heal in the moment, but to be here for good.
Learn more about Prisma Health’s Child Life program: https://ter.li/7u2vieh1
Mary Elizabeth McNair, Child Life Specialist Assistant Intern and ClemsonLIFE student, arrives for work with a smile on her face.
“My favorite part about my job is interacting with the kids and seeing who is going to be on my caseload that day,” said McNair. “I get different patients every single day. Every Thursday and Friday, I get to put on my work clothes and go to my favorite workplace!”
Alex McNair, Mary Elizabeth’s father, noted that their family feels that Mary Elizabeth is a piece of “God’s grace” on Earth. “We were surprised to learn she would face lifelong challenges due to a malformation in her brain at birth,” he said. “But Mary Elizabeth has risen to every challenge. She’s excelled at everything she’s ever tried to do.”
As a young child after her first surgery, Mary Elizabeth told her family that it was her dream to grow up and become a Child Life Specialist, working with children and families to provide support, comfort and care during difficult times.
Was it a challenging goal for her future? Maybe. But Mary Elizabeth has never let a challenge stop her. Not only did she accomplish her career goal, she’s beloved by coworkers and community members alike.
“Mary Elizabeth was the first ClemsonLIFE student to join our Child Life Team,” said Taylor Windell, manager of the Child Life & Special Programs program at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Upstate. “As a former patient, she was very interested in the field and without question, we said, ‘Absolutely! How can we get her here and when can she start?'”
ClemsonLIFE is a college experience through Clemson University College of Education, designed for students with learning or physical disabilities to help them grow and thrive into adulthood. The LIFE aspect stands for Learning Is For Everyone, and the ClemsonLIFE program felt Mary Elizabeth would benefit from her time with Prisma Health.
Her experience has been a joyful success.
“I usually start my day by cleaning toys. After every patient uses them, there might be an infection or something that another patient can’t have. My favorite about the playroom is coming in and playing with some of my patients. Some of my patients are scared to go into surgery,” said Mary Elizabeth McNair. “So a Child Life Specialist says, ‘Let’s do the doctor area with this certain patient. She’s about to have a procedure and she needs to be comforted.’ It’s important for kids to be able to play and be themselves even though there might be medical stuff going on.”
As a member of the Prisma Health team, Mary Elizabeth McNair is a force of nature who shows how kindness and compassion can create an impact that truly lasts a lifetime.
For a child, receiving care can be confusing and scary.
Prisma Health Child Life Services offers activities and services that help children learn about what they will see, feel and hear in the hospital or medical setting.
