Heart of a Nurse, Love of a Mother: Taylor Smith, RN, Brings Compassion to Both Worlds
As both a UF Health Shands team member and the mother of a patient, Taylor Smith, RN, sees UF Health as more than a workplace — it’s part of her family’s story. Smith has served in the UF Health Shands E.R. since 2018 and became an ER coordinator in 2021, a role she loves. Both of her children were born at UF Health Shands, strengthening her trust in the people and the place she calls home. Her dual perspective as a nurse and a mother became even more significant when her son’s health took a sudden turn.
Smith’s son Ezra was 5 years old when everything changed. In February, he started complaining of leg pain. His pediatrician reassured Smith that it was probably just growing pains. When he developed a fever, the explanation was the same — he was just fighting off viruses. As both a nurse and a mother, Smith tried to accept those answers.
Not long after, Smith left for Africa, where she spent nine days teaching with a nonprofit. When she returned home, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Ezra looked thinner, and the way he walked was different, unlike himself. The next morning, she woke up to him calling for her. She found him in a sweat, with unbearable leg pain, and he was unable to walk.
Smith took him straight to UF Health Shands Pediatric ER. There, doctors found he had blue cells in his marrow — an indicator of cancer. Ezra was admitted to UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital Unit 44. She remembers how she got the news. Nancy Joseph, MBBS, FAAP, quietly wrote the results on a sticky note before embracing and supporting Smith as she broke down. That small act of compassion stayed with her.
Ezra was soon moved to the children’s hospital Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit 42, a place Smith describes as “its own little family.” The nurses know every patient’s name, along with their preferences and routines. Smith often said she was sure they could even remember Ezra’s favorite color if asked.
Another team member who made a huge impact was child life specialist Madelyn Christian. From the start of the diagnosis, Christian and Ezra have been inseparable, “besties,” Smith said. Any time an appointment comes up, Ezra doesn’t complain or resist. He only wants to know one thing: “Is Ms. Maddie going to be there?” Smith believes wholeheartedly that Ezra’s healing wouldn’t be the same without Christian and the Child Life Program.
Balancing life as both a mom and a nurse has been one of Smith’s hardest challenges, but the surrounding teams at UF Health have helped her through every step. From the moment Ezra received his diagnosis to the nights when Smith stayed at the hospital with him before heading straight into her shift the next morning, her team in the adult ER was always there. They were supportive, aware and incredibly considerate. Their understanding gave her room to breathe. Smith also knew she could go in for her shifts, trusting the teams across the street would care for Ezra in the best way possible.
Through it all, Smith’s gratitude is immense. She is deeply thankful for the pediatric ER, adult ER, the care teams on Unit 42, the child life specialists and everyone in between who has cared for their family with unwavering compassion and support. In every step of this journey, Smith and Ezra have drawn strength from each other — and from the UF Health family that has held them up along the way
