Sylvie Kozlowskyj is not the type of person whose name is always in the news. She avoids the spotlight. She is not well known, but those who do meet her never forget her.

She is a pediatric oncology nurse. She is someone who listens and someone who understands how cancer affects not only a child, but the whole family, says Tanya Charbonneau, who nominated this extraordinary woman for a Community Builders Award.

Charbonneau’s son, Owen, 2, is a patient at the Regional Cancer Program of Sudbury Regional Hospital.

“I am nominating Sylvie because I believe she is not only an outstanding nurse but also a superb human being,” says Charbonneau. “She feels like part of our family. I can ask her anything.”

“Kids get cancer, get sick and are forced to grow up before their time. During this very scary time, Sylvie makes each and every kid feel special, gives each child special attention, no matter how busy she is.”

Kozlowskyj works at the pediatric oncology out-patient clinic at the Regional Cancer Program, which is supported in part by the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO). Her title is pediatric satellite nurse co-ordinator.

When children from northeastern Ontario are diagnosed with cancer at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto or The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, the Sudbury satellite allows them to be treated closer to home. Kozlowskyj’s role incorporates multiple aspects of the care for children with cancer and their families, from the administration of chemotherapy and of supportive care (such as blood work, transfusions, fluids) to the co-ordination of visits between centres to follow-up visits. Her patients range in ages from infants to 18 years.

Her office is decorated with her patients drawings, their photographs and colourful thank-you cards. She isn’t dressed like a nurse. There is nothing clinical about the children’s clinic.

It is important to Kozlowskyj and her team that the children and their families feel at home and as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.

“We become very close to our families as we help them get through this...We get to know the families as a whole, including sisters, brothers, parents and even at times grandparents...” she says.

“Every one has the same reaction when they hear about where I work, but it is not a sad place to work. Children with cancer have a good chance of recovering. This work is very rewarding.

“We talk, we sing, we dance...they get stickers, vouchers for Wolves games. A needle pick deserves a gift from the treasure box...We treat them as the important people they are. I think it’s necessary to be this way. Some kids are on treatment for years...There has to be some good memories of the clinic visits.”

Dr. Sean Murray, medical director of pediatric oncology out-patient clinic, says “There is never a dull moment in the clinic with Sylvie around. A game, a song or even a dance comes easy and allows for a happier illness experience.”

“Parents grow very attached to Sylvie. They rely on her to be their ‘rock’...She is there for the families in good times and bad...During periods when we have had the misfortune of delivering palliative care to children, Sylvie again rises to the occasion and lifts the spirit of the children and their families. Her ability to holistically relieve physical and emotional suffering is unmatched.”

Kozlowskyj steadfastly supports her colleagues and never claims the limelight, Murray says. “She is a well respected and ‘looked-to’ leader’.”

He notes that the mother of three daughters goes beyond the call of duty. At Christmas she purchased gifts for patients with money donated to the clinic, and ensures each gift is personalized and wrapped with love and care.

Charbonneau remembers, “One night Sylvie came to St. Joseph’s Health Centre at midnight to try a procedure to unblock my son’s life line, his PICC line, which became blocked earlier that evening. She knew how important it was to get it open or risk my son being transferred to Toronto and needing another surgery. After working her day shift at the clinic, she rushed into St. Joseph’s, then went in for her shift the next day.”

Her colleagues at the Hospital for Sick Children, Christine Armstrong RN, Dr. John Doyle, Dr. Adam Gassas, Kim Yuille RN and Jane Lowry RN, also praise her. “She is passionate about nursing and her role in the care of patients and families. She has developed an expertise in the specific care needs of patients and families who are undergoing complex treatment regimes and incorporates this strong knowledge base with exceptional organizational skills,” they wrote in a letter supporting her CBA nomination.

“A lot of children with cancer and their families have been lucky to have Sylvie as part of their lives,” says Murray. I, like they do, also feel blessed to know her.”