Foster Mom Works Around the Clock to Care for Medically Fragile Children

Vera Garyeazon has a very busy schedule and often works around the clock to care for the medically fragile children in foster care who live in her home. Vera, who has been a registered nurse since 2003, decided she needed a change in 2021 after all of her children had grown and left her home, and decided to provide foster care for medically fragile children. Over the last three years, she has cared for seven medically fragile children, many of whom have returned home and one whom she adopted.

Vera’s daughter, seven-year-old Evelyn, has been with her since 2021 and was just adopted in July. Evelyn is wheelchair bound and has very high medical needs requiring nursing care 24 hours a day. Vera cares for Evelyn at night and nursing staff come to help care for Evelyn during the weekdays so Vera can sleep. When the children have medical appointments and on the weekends, Vera has to take breaks to sleep when she can. 

“I like to see their transitions. I have seen children in my care who were not expected to live or were not expected to improve, but under my care, they have improved more than anyone thought they would,” said Vera. ”Other medical professionals, social workers, and even family members have told me thank you for what I have done for these children, and that means a lot to me.”

Despite their high medical needs, Vera takes all the children in her care on outings to the park, to the movies, to community events and to the trampoline park. Vera also enjoys sharing her culture with the children in her home and takes them to family gatherings. Vera ensures the children have access to education and other services, so they can enjoy the best childhood possible. 

Although Vera is a single parent caring for medically fragile children, she has a lot of support around her. Vera’s nieces come to help her on the weekends, and she also has the support of the nursing agency during the week. Vera has become close friends with another foster parent who is also a nurse caring for medically fragile children and they support each other such as providing supervision so they can have breaks when needed. Vera said she can also depend on the social workers who come to her home to help her with things, even if it is just folding a basket of laundry. 

“Although this work is very challenging, I do it for the kids. When you do this work, it is important to do it from a place of love,” said Vera.