Chloe Popovich

1. Why are you a Child Life professional? 

I am a Child Life specialist because it affords me the opportunity to work closely with patients and families of various medical needs. I can promote a patient’s overall coping and sense of control using medical procedure support, diagnosis teaching, and creation of multi-faceted coping plans. I provide age-appropriate medical information to children to increase their understanding. I also facilitate continued mastery with the use of play activities. Given that children cope best when provided with opportunities for normalization, I love to incorporate play-based interventions into my assessment and plan of care for patients and families.

I am also a member of a multidisciplinary team and enjoy the ability to collaborate closely with other disciplines. This collaboration is essential in ensuring that our patients and families are provided with interventions that promote their emotional, medical, and psychosocial needs.

Overall, each and every day is different, and I am grateful to serve alongside our patients and families on this journey. 

2. How long have you worked in Child Life? 

I have worked in the field of Child Life for four years with varied experiences in the emergency room setting, hemodialysis/peritoneal dialysis clinics, and now, oncology. I have had the honor to serve as the clinic Child Life specialist for the Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health for the past year. 

3. What has been the most rewarding aspect of Child Life? 

Witnessing the strength of our patients and families firsthand. As we support them throughout their medical journey, I love being able to observe children master skills, overcome challenges, and face their fears related to the medical setting. 

4. Describe your favorite Children's Cancer Fund experience?

My favorite experiences have been providing families with the opportunity to make positive, lasting memories in the face of adversity.  Given that cancer impacts the entire family unit, not just the patient, it has been amazing to see families bond and spend time together. I personally favored the opportunity to work with Children’s Cancer Fund when throughout the numerous holiday and special event donations. I felt like families were able to focus on their relationship, while enjoying fun bedside activities to normalize the hospital setting and create a more positive atmosphere.