There are some people who are truly one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime care providers who touch lives and change lives. Yohanna Johnson is one of those people. As a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at George Mark Children’s House, Yohanna has been a guiding light for patients, families, and staff since 2020. Her service goes far beyond standard job duties; it is a lifelong ministry of comfort, grace, and selfless devotion to children who need it most. In an environment that deals with profound grief and complex medical challenges, Yohanna’s steady presence, optimism, and unwavering work ethic uplift everyone around her.
Congratulations, Yohanna!
Yohanna was recently presented with a Merit Award from the San Andreas Regional Center. This recognition celebrates a caregiver who puts the comfort, safety, and happiness of children with complex issues above all else, and who treats each child with dignity and respect. While this award acknowledges her personal dedication and extraordinary care, it also highlights the profound impact that quiet, compassionate caregiving has on George Mark’s special needs community every single day.
Creating joy in every interaction
Yohanna approaches care with deep compassion, taking the time to learn and honor each child’s unique quirks, preferences, and personality. This often means serving as a gentle voice and steadfast advocate for our non-verbal patients. She talks and sings to these children, holding a firm belief in their awareness and capacity to feel loved. She is often the first to cradle a crying child or soothe a patient experiencing discomfort, and she often volunteers to take a child outside for a walk to feel the breeze.
Yohanna’s presence extends across every space at George Mark Children’s House, whether creating art with a child, sharing a moment on the sensory room floor, or pushing a wheelchair through our restorative garden. On any given day, Yohanna can be found sharing a laugh while lifting a child from a wheelchair to dance and spin down the hallway. Or she might be sitting in the nursing station rocking chair softly rocking a crying toddler. She patiently braids a child’s hair into intricate styles or softly sings to an infant at the end of life while resting parents recharge.
Her dedication extends to the finest details of care, whether it’s straightening a child’s sock that’s askew or taking an extra moment to cushion a pressure point. Whenever the House is in need, Yohanna steps up to work extra shifts and overtime, always placing the physical safety, emotional comfort, and well-being of our children and their families above all else.
Building trust, comfort, and peace
What makes Yohanna truly exceptional is the deep sense of trust and peace she provides to the parents and families of our patients. Entrusting a child with complex medical needs to someone else’s care is one of the hardest things a parent can do, yet families find comfort in her care. She listens to parents with deep empathy, validates their fears, and treats their children with tender affection. In the high-acuity, emotionally intense world of pediatric palliative and special needs care, her quiet strength and endless warmth stand out.
A source of comfort during life’s most difficult moments
After a child dies, Yohanna is often the staff member parents and siblings want to see, as she is the person who had a special connection with their child. She is a comfort and calming presence to parents and caregivers and siblings going through heartbreak, loss, and grief. Yohanna also helps lead George Mark’s annual Service of Remembrance that honors our children who have died, providing Spanish translation for the service.
A caregiver who deserves recognition
We welcome and embrace the recognition of Yohanna’s exceptional care and dedication through this award. Thank you for being the beating heart of our team, Yohanna. Your natural ability to love and nurture our children is what makes our House a home – and it shines a light on the tender and compassionate care we provide every day at George Mark Children’s House.
