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In the 2023 Focus, we spoke with Dr. Christopher Lawlor about the expanded hematology support for The Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Atlantic Health System’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital. To better serve the Sickle Cell patients, The Valerie Fund expanded its staff to include a dedicated Hematology nurse navigator and a dedicated social worker. We want to introduce Emily Fusco, LSW, who has joined our Morristown Children’s Center to support hematology patients.

Tell us why you feel The Valerie Fund is important to patients.

I feel The Valerie Fund is important to patients because the focus is not only the medical component of what the child has going on, but also the emotional and social needs of the child and family. As a social worker, I think these all go hand in hand and are an instrumental part of how a child copes with an illness. When a family enters a hospital or doctor’s office, it can often be a stressful time for the whole family. The way that the Valerie Fund helps to ease the stress (both in the hospital and at home) is also an integral component in how a child copes, whether it is a cancer diagnosis or a lifelong illness.

Tell us how you hope to help the hematology patients in Morristown.

I hope to help the hematology patients in Morristown by providing education and tools to help empower them to manage their complex disorders to maintain their good health and achieve all their life goals. This includes helping patients learn about the disorder itself, manage different aspects of their disorder like taking medications and coming to appointments, and navigating the insurance world. I want to help provide care so that when the patient is ready, they feel they can transition from pediatric to adult healthcare without issues. In addition, I’d like to provide opportunities for the patients and families to engage and connect with each other, and in the community, as connection is such an important part of life, especially when dealing with a chronic illness. 

Share a special story about something you have worked on with a patient and their family 

I have had the opportunity to work closely with a patient who lost a parent at the beginning of their diagnosis. A stressful time of hospital visits and needle sticks was made even more difficult when they were no longer able to have that parent there to comfort them. Working together (with the staff and the family) to make the visits less scary, understand all the medications, and be a listening ear has been something that will stay with me forever.

 Emily Fusco, LSW