Life is full of surprises and unexpected turns. Never could I have imagined ten years ago, when I began my journey in healthcare, that it would lead me to this point of my life.
Hello, I am Paola. I am a single mother of a wonderful, sweet, energetic boy. I am a respiratory therapist, and I am an entrepreneur.
Nearly ten years ago, I moved in with my parents to go back to college and complete my degree. I was a single mom of a then one year old boy. I was in my late 20s and the thought of living with my parents was a hard pill to swallow. Nonetheless, it had to be done to get a degree and to get on my feet as a newly divorced single mom. A very rough couple of years later, I graduated with a degree in respiratory therapy and started working for one of Portland's level 1 trauma centers.
My number one passion that was driving me from the very get go was the love for people and wanting to take care of them. And I did just that. As a respiratory therapist, you work with patients who are having trouble breathing, a situation that can be very scary and life threatening. I've spent the last eight years taking care of patients in the hospital who were very sick, many of which got better, but I've also seen a lot of people not make it.
One of my dearest principles is to provide people with the best care possible, to extend a listening ear to my patients and make them feel dignified and cared for.
Something happened. It was about two years ago, that we had a very difficult flu season. I worked almost exclusively in the pediatric ICU during this time and I watched a lot of parents loose their children that year. Despite our best efforts, we can't save everyone, this is true for any hospital in any city or country. Watching a parent loose their child is my kryptonite. They say you grow thick skin in healthcare but this is something that effects me very deeply, in my motherly core. My son can tell you that there have been many nights that I came home from work and greeted him with a giant, silent hug that would last for a while. Thanking the heavens that he is healthy.
I had made a discovery. Healthcare was no longer my endgame. At least not in a physical sense. I am taking everything I have learned from caring for people physically, to taking care of people's needs with products that solve a problem. My number one goal is to extend my listening ear to every customer, to understand their needs, learn how I can best meet them, and provide a service that makes them feel dignified and cared for. I've set the bar high, I am here to listen to your thoughts and needs and then blow them out of the water or die trying.
Kindly,
Paola Khemchan
