Taking Care of CHOC is all in a Day's Work

Each one of our patients has a remarkable story. Many of our employees do, too. CHOC Plant Operations Manager Janet Sparks first became acquainted with CHOC six years ago. Janet was having a prenatal check-up when she unexpectedly went into premature labor. Her daughter, Sarah, was born right there in her doctor’s office. Sarah was 13 1/2 weeks early and weighed only 1 1/2 pounds. Sarah was immediately rushed from the doctor’s office to the hospital across the street, and later transferred to the CHOC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. For the next 84 days, CHOC doctors and nurses worked around the clock to save her life. There were many challenging moments. Janet realized that Sarah might have several developmental disabilities as a result of her severe prematurity. Miraculously, that wasn’t the case. With the exception of blindness in her left eye, Sarah is a “healthy and feisty” 6-year-old. Janet’s CHOC story didn’t end when her daughter came home. A few years later, Janet was recruited to come work for CHOC. A coincidence? Maybe, but Janet doesn’t think so. For her, it is as if her life has come full circle. “CHOC took care of us when Sarah was little,” says Janet, whose responsibilities include maintaining a comfortable indoor environment in all the buildings within the CHOC campus. “Five years later, I am taking care of CHOC.”