Visiting a doctor’s office or hospital can be unnerving with all the uncertainties individuals are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, this leads many who may need medical attention to avoid seeking it.

Coudersport resident Carrie Morley shared a story with The Era on a recent wellness check she and her 3-year-old daughter had at a UPMC Cole facility, in an effort to demonstrate how staff is going above and beyond to make sure patients stay safe and healthy.

When 3-year-old Emmaline became slightly overdue for a wellness visit with pediatrician Dr. Mary Ann Rigas at UPMC Cole Pediatrics, Morley said she and her husband had a serious discussion on whether it would be in Emmaline’s best interest to follow through with the appointment.

“My husband and I weighed whether or not to take her, and I have to admit that I strongly considered cancelling the appointment altogether,” she noted.

When weighing out the situation, Morley said her initial fears were possibly exposing Emmaline to people with COVID-19, as she imagined they would have to come into close proximity with many people in the halls and waiting rooms. Additionally, she had concern for the possibility of exposing her mother to germs, who has a weakened immune system after fighting cancer for 13 years.

“I had a lot of anxiety that I may be taking an unnecessary risk for a routine appointment,” Morley explained.

Ultimately, she and her husband decided to follow through with the appointment for several reasons.

“Firstly, COVID-19 cases are not high in our area and secondly and most importantly, she was due for a vaccine,” Morley said. “We decided that we could not outwait COVID-19 since it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon, and it would be a risk to her to be without a vaccine indefinitely.”

She also said that as foster parents, they wanted to set a good example to show that taking a child regularly to the doctor is an important part of keeping them healthy.

When they arrived at the main entrance the day of the appointment, they were greeted by friendly staff who immediately put hand sanitizer on their hands and provided them with masks.

“My daughter was very anxious about the masks, and the staff members at the front door were very kind to her and kept it all upbeat,” Morley explained. “They then asked us a series of questions about symptoms and potential contact to exposed people, and then took our temperatures.”

As she and Emmaline sat in the waiting room by themselves, she noticed the toys and books had been removed and chairs were spread further apart from one another. After only two minutes of waiting they were called back to a room.

“The nurse and physician both wore masks the entire time,” Morley said.

To reassure everything was okay and ease Emmaline’s anxiety, the pediatrician took extra time to explain the situation in a way she could understand.

“She even offered her a mask to bring home with her, and my daughter proudly wore it all the way home,” Morley recalled. “She has been using it, along with the one we have at home, to put on her dollies and she now teaches them about masks and hand washing.”

On their way out of the facility, she said the pair never came into close contact with other people.

“When we were walking down the steps, a staff member was about to come up and instead of coming up, she stepped back and to the side so she did not pass us in the stairwell,” she explained. “We also passed two different people in the halls sanitizing things. I genuinely felt safer there than I did during any of the few trips I have made to the grocery stores since this all began.”

Morley said she wouldn’t hesitate to take any of her children to future appointments and recommends others do the same.

“The risk going was incredibly low, and the benefit to having medical conditions treated, staying on top of vaccines and having a professional assess your child’s development are incredibly beneficial, long-term,” she said. “I have two more children who need a well visit in early summer, and based on my experience, I would not hesitate to take them in.”

Morley went on to explain that although people need to be cautious due to the virus, it’s important not to let the fear overwhelm them.

“Fear can cloud our ability to make good decisions, and children know when adults are afraid,” she explained. “My daughter has not been to another public place since March, and going to this well visit provided her some of the normalcy that she needed and actually helped ease some of the anxiety she had felt about masks and going out into the world again.”