Lifelong GBMC Patient Encourages Employees To Care for Themselves

As a local maker of high-quality, handmade self-care products and a lifetime public school teacher, Angela Chambers understands what it means to take care of others. During this global pandemic, when she was deciding how to give back, it seemed natural to support the place that has cared for her since birth.

"For a school project in elementary school I asked my mom where I was born," Angela said. "Since she told me, I have always had this love for GBMC."

Since then, the kindergarten teacher at Sandalwood Elementary School delivered both of her daughters at GBMC, one of which was in the NICU and the other now works in GBMC’s Emergency Department. Angela was also treated by Drs. Albert Blumberg, Paul Celano and Sheri Slezak as well as Barb Raksin for breast cancer 11 years ago.

"We chose GBMC because it is a great hospital," Angela said. "But they also have the NICU, which was always a consideration for us when starting our family. With each pregnancy, our baby would have the potential to have sickle cell because my husband and I both have the trait, so we wanted a hospital that had a great NICU."

Callie was in the NICU for three days and now, 17 years later, Angela still recalls the names of the nurses who cared for her youngest daughter. The exceptional care she received is engrained in Angela's memory, down to the onesie nurse Beverly put Callie in when Angela first got to see her after recovering from a placental abruption during childbirth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on healthcare workers and the essential role they play in keeping and maintaining the health of the community. The world has been reminded that, even in dire times, their care and expertise is necessary and appreciated.

"It’s my own gratitude that I feel for people who work there. I have been grateful for everything," Angela said. "I know working in the Emergency Department, they work hard, they do a lot and now having to deal with COVID-19.

"I’m not rich. I don’t have millions of dollars to donate to the hospital. This is my way of being able to simply say thank you. Thank you for how you have been there to help me personally, and how you have been there to help my family."

Angela is the owner of Momma's Babies, which makes handmade self-care products such as hand creams, body butters, and soap scrubs using essential oils. The concept originally began two years ago to address her daughters' skin challenges. Only after both began bringing products to Bryn Mawr, where they attended school, and friends requested some of their own did Angela realize their challenges were not unique.

Angela shared her talents and products with frontline workers in GBMC's Emergency Department and Spiritual Support Services department as a way to recognize their hard work and remind them to take care of themselves as they sacrifice so much for others.

"When people do good and put good into the world, somehow the universe connects us," Angela said. "They may not receive a thank you in the moment of the work that they do, but to receive a thank you at some point, I feel like that’s how the universe operates. When we put good into the world, good comes back to us in some form."