Child, 4, arrived alone for heart surgery. His doctor became his mom.

"You could tell he was scared and nervous, and didn't know anyone. I don't really see kids by themselves in pre-op. What concerned Beethe most about True's situation, though, was not his medical records. It was his home life. True was in foster care, and his caseworker - who would normally accompany him to medical appointments - had covid-19, so True was at the hospital for a multi-hour surgery alone."

"She called True's caseworker to ask about his situation and learned he had six siblings, five of whom were placed with their grandmother because of a domestic violence situation. At home True had not been getting the medication or meals he needed, the caseworker told Beethe. And after his surgery months earlier, he rarely had visitors."

"The caseworker explained that it was a struggle to find a suitable home for True, given his specialized medical needs and, half-jokingly, asked Beethe: Are you an option? In fact, she was. Beethe and her husband, Ryan Beethe, became licensed foster parents in 2017 after having three biological children."

Amy Beethe, a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist at Children's Nebraska, encountered a 4-year-old named True in pre-operation in January 2022. True had congenital heart disease requiring heart catheterization and was alone without a parent or guardian present. His caseworker was unavailable due to COVID-19. Beethe learned True was in foster care, had six siblings, faced domestic violence circumstances, and lacked proper medication and meals at home. After his earlier open-heart surgery, he rarely received visitors. When the caseworker jokingly asked if Beethe could provide a home, she and her husband, already licensed foster parents since 2017, decided to take him in.

Read at The Washington Post