Heartline: The lines behind the Heart

Heartline is a perspective on care told through stories through lived experiences as a founder, a nurse, and a lifelong caregiver. This series is about the realities of care: the burdens, the resilience, and the connections that hold patients and families together. 

My journey began when I was just four years old.

My grandmother was a beautiful, independent, and well-educated woman. She had spent her life working hard, but she also lived with diabetes that eventually led to kidney failure. Our family lacked the knowledge and resources to truly understand what her body was going through. All I knew was that she was sick, and far too soon, we were losing her. She passed away at just 52 years old.

At four years old, I became her little caregiver. I remember checking on her to see if she used the restroom or had any urine output. I would look over her skin to make sure it was clear and free from sores, and I helped with small but necessary tasks around the house. I combed her hair and helped her get things out of the refrigerator, and assisted my grandfather as he tried to make her comfortable. These were small acts, but they were constant, and they became part of my everyday life.

Now, as a nurse, I can see what I was truly doing. What felt like helping my grandmother in the moment was actually long-term care. I was monitoring urine output, checking her skin integrity, assisting with activities of daily living (ADLs), and supporting her independence with small but essential living skills. Beyond the tasks, I was also her companion — someone who sat with her, offered emotional support, and gave her comfort during difficult days. These responsibilities opened my eyes at a very young age, and became the foundation of who I am today.

And I know now that I was not alone. Like many children across the United States, I was quietly stepping into the role of caregiver for a loved one with chronic illness. It’s a reality that is rarely talked about, but one that shapes countless children and families every single day.

Being a child caregiver is not easy. It carries a weight far heavier than most people realize. But in those moments, sitting with my grandmother, tending to her needs, I began to understand what care really means: love, patience, presence, and responsibility.

That experience with my grandmother shaped everything. It showed me how much patients and families carry on their own. It taught me that caregiving isn’t just a role — it’s a heartline, connecting us to the people we love when they need us most.

This is where Heartline begins.