Am “I” making a difference…?

Category: Company

Janelle Flerlage Joseph, MT(ASCP)
Principal Blood Bank Specialist

Does my job matter, am “I” making a difference, is the company I work for making a difference — how?

I often have these questions during various project and working with many different clients. The bottom line I always circle back to is yes. It is actually a very big YES. I have a story that I would like to share.

My neighbor called me to have a chat over coffee about her daughter of 10 years old that had two hip surgeries and now just had to have a third. I was shocked. She was scared, confused, felt helpless and very emotional. Unbeknownst to her this would be the best coffee ever, she needed a shoulder and said she thought she would just cry and cry. She had no idea I had a blood bank and hematology background and I started asking her many questions and the research began.

Her daughter has avascular necrosis (AVN) and her physician is looking at stem cell treatment for her. Basically the blood flow to the femoral head was diminished enough the bone begins to die. Her daughter’s mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) will be obtained from the iliac crest and platelet-rich plasma are injected into the area of osteonecrosis to treat this. Hopefully it will work!

I was able to fill her with knowledge and empower her to ask her physicians some important questions. I take for granted all the scientific jargon that I can wade through that makes sense to me. We reviewed pictures on line, how this new procedure might work. She started building her foundation of knowledge which of course equals power for her, her husband and her scared little girl. I learned a lot too.

My projects at Vedant focus on providing my clients (hospitals) validations of their laboratory — typically blood bank. I make sure their software system is built appropriately and adhere to the strictest validation standards so there will be no harm or death to a patient.

My company and I do make a difference to real patients every day. Say a prayer for Lauren.