August 12, 2021
Nurse Navigator Kate Trenoweth is a genuine “super hero”, at least in the eyes of a young patient she has been caring for at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.
Kate’s nine-year-old patient, Belle, was injured in a horse-riding accident on her grandparents’ property near Kingaroy last year.
Belle was flown to the Children’s Hospital with a broken jaw, fractured pelvis and internal bleeding.
Her mother, Jess, said the first 24 hours were frightening, with Belle rushed into several emergency surgeries.
“Due to the variety of her injuries, she was being treated by multiple teams and doctors which was overwhelming to listen to,” Jess said.
“We met Kate about three days into Belle’s hospitalisation. She became the familiar face and person who could get us to a place of understanding.
“Belle had a lot of wonderful nurses, but the bond she formed with Kate was so special.
“We know she was just doing her job, but to us it felt like she went above and beyond.”
When Belle and her mother heard there was an opportunity to nominate a healthcare hero, they immediately thought about Kate.
Belle nominated Kate in the Super Hero awards run on the Children’s Hospital’s in-house Juice TV network.
“While I am chuffed to be nominated for this award, I’m also very humbled because I am just one of many healthcare professionals who contribute to the care of our patients,” Kate said.
Belle bonded with Kate over her red scrubs, which Kate began to wear deliberately when she knew was seeing Belle.
“Belle definitely had her ups and downs dealing with her hospitalisation, but even on the trickier days she showed great resilience,” Kate said.
“My whole team were absolutely blown away by this little girl. She was so tiny and fatigued, but she had absolute spirit, personality and pizzazz.
“I honestly think the true heroes are children like Belle and their families who show such courage and resilience in the face of what can be a really challenging journey.”
The Super Hero awards are sponsored by public sector superannuation fund, QSuper.
Jess thanked the fund for giving families a chance to acknowledge the people who had helped them.
