Lauren, tell me what do you do?
I’m a respiratory therapist, currently doing diagnostic testing for pediatric pulmonology. So treating children with asthma, bronchitis, or any kind of lung disease will come and see me.

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
You have people coming in feeling hopeless about the symptoms they’re having and some of these kids have been searching for a diagnosis for years. To be the one who gives them the answers they’ve been searching for & to figure out exactly what is wrong has been really rewarding. You try to focus on that kind of stuff instead of the sad parts. It’s a lot. You have to re-wire your brain a bit to process what you see & go through every day.

What do you do to keep the kids smiling & positive under such sad & life threatening circumstances?
A little bit goes a long way with kids. They don’t need all the glitz & glamor, which is why these kids are so special. It can be a random toy you bring in that makes the littlest noise or little things like stickers. One of my favorite things to do is write their name with their favorite Disney character on the hospital bed. They see it and it automatically soothes them, the anxiety & worry fades away after a little bit. You just try to find that genuine connection with them.

Personally, I just think what you’re doing is so amazing. I’m so proud of you Lauren. We’ve been close friends for many years now, and don’t talk about your work that often….so I actually wasn’t planning on asking this question until now - how do you keep yourself positive throughout the day?
It’s natural to always have that down feeling in this profession, but during the day if I encounter something sad, I’ll make sure to follow that up by walking around, talking to my co-workers to get my mind off of things. Just getting away from that environment for a second by disconnecting & distracting yourself by listening to some good music like Lizzo. If you can’t get positive after Lizzo, I don’t know what’s going to work for you!

Amen girlfriend! So pivoting just a bit, can you describe your personal style.
These are good questions…I would say I go for “cute comfort.” I like layers. I also like to wear things that spark engagement and lead to more of a conversation. For example, funny shirts.

Oh I love that!
The other day when I went to New Orleans, I wore my “Dolly Parton Vibes” shirt everywhere. It is amazing the amount of people that will come up to you and be like “my favorite song is 9-to-5.” It just fires people up.

How has moving to Austin influenced or changed your style if any?
I don’t know if it has. I feel that Houston & Austin can be similar in a lot of ways as far as fashion & style goes. I definitely still rock the same baseball hats and Vans…and still wear my Astros gear of course. I do feel that I can venture out & feel way more comfortable doing that here in Austin. So if I’m feeling sassy one day, I might do that. But for right now, I like my layers.

In your profession, you don’t have a lot of flexibility in what you can wear. So in what ways do you still try and bring your unique expression to work as far as your style goes?
Myself, as well as my co-workers try to mix that up as much as we can without the monotonous scrubs every day. For instance, this month is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and so I’m wearing this shirt with the yellow ribbon to bring awareness. It’s simple but an impactful way to show our support for these very important organizations & charities. You try to do that as much as you can.

Also, everyone does a great job when they know a certain patient is coming in and will wear the patients favorite cartoon character scrub top…it’s little things like that. You have to think practically but also emotionally at the same time based on who you’ll be seeing that day and who might find joy in something as simple as what’s on your shirt or your scrubs.

What organization are you most passionate about and would like to share with others?
For me personally, it’s the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. That’s a huge patient population that I’m constantly in contact with. Those kids are with you from the time they’re babies until they’re adults. You truly become bonded with them. It’s the one I’m closest to, so anyway I can show support for the organization I do it.

If you would like to donate or learn more about the organizations in this Thread Tales of Austin blog post, please www.cff.org (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation ) and www.acco.org (Childhood Cancer Organization).