An allergic reaction as a teenager changed her life. Now, she’s paying it back by supporting the future of Children’s Health℠

Jennifer Roady has made a career out of making the hospital less intimidating to kids and families. And she knows the work is more important now than ever as the health care needs of kids in North Texas are growing.  

After taking an aspirin, Jennifer Roady, then 14 years old, experienced a severe anaphylactic reaction. Paramedics brought her back to life in the ambulance as they rushed her to an area hospital, where a pediatrician arranged for her transfer to Children’s Health. 

The care she received as a patient left a lasting impression, and Jennifer knew that’s the kind of place she wanted to work at when she grew up. She still recalls how her care team patiently helped her feel less nervous and how a visit to the hospital playroom made her feel more like herself.  

At first, she was set on becoming a pediatric physical therapist. But it wouldn’t be until college, while overhearing her classmates’ conversation, that she would learn about her calling — Child Life. 

Not knowing what they were talking about, she hurried to her computer and began researching. She quickly stumbled into the contact information of a child life specialist in another part of the country and, without expecting a response, emailed all her questions. 

A few days later, the stranger she’d found online replied and offered a glimpse into what the role entails as a translator of the hospital for patients and families to make the experience less intimidating. 

“So, I changed my career path and really fell in love with child life,” Jennifer said. “I wanted to help make sure kids don’t feel scared at the hospital, and that they feel understood and heard.” 

Jennifer soon made her way back to Children’s Health, where she’s worked alongside medical staff to ensure a positive experience for patients and families for 17 years.  

As director of Family Support Services for Children’s Medical Center Plano, she overlooks a league of superhero teams that make the incredible happen every day — including Child Life, Music Therapy, Language Access, School Services, Volunteer Services and Library Services. 

Her team members help patients and families understand diagnoses or procedures, making it all less scary; offer a helping hand and emotional support where needed; provide interpretation services to overcome language barriers; and so much more.  

These services come at no cost to patients and families, relying instead on generous philanthropic support.  

“We will probably never know what we mean to people, but those little moments matter,” she said. “Our job is our mission — make life better for children — and we live that out every day.” 

As someone who has helped transform patients’ experiences at the hospital, turning an unfamiliar place into somewhere children look forward to visiting, Jennifer understands the importance of giving back to support these crucial services.  

Jennifer often encourages other team members to set up regular payroll deductions to support the hospital system, something she has done for years. She’s also a fan of organizing peer-to-peer fundraisers, which allows team members, patients and community members to celebrate a milestone in their life while raising money to fundraise for Children’s Health. 

She knows that supporting the hospital system as it experiences tremendous growth — recently opening a new tower at Children’s Medical Center Plano and kicking off construction for the new Dallas pediatric campus in collaboration with UT Southwestern Medical Center — will allow her teams to expand and reach the lives of more families. 

“Helping Children’s Health grow and supporting it as it provides excellent care to families is really important,” she said. “So many things we do here depend on donations, so it’s important for all of us to come together so we can continue doing what we do.”