Shanté’s Story of Pediatric Home Nursing

There for first laughs, first steps, and first words, pediatric nurses like Shanté Williams change people’s lives every day.

The heart of home care

When baby Jesse came home after ten months in the hospital, Shanté Williams, LPN was there from day one. As his regular home nurse, she didn’t just provide advanced trach and ventilator care—she brought calm, confidence, and reassurance, allowing Jen and Cameron Silbert to finally exhale and embrace their new role as parents.

"Every day I walk into that house, I bring my full clinical toolbox," Shanté says. "When you’re the only nurse on shift, you have to be ready for anything."

“You don’t clock out on a shift like this. You carry it in your heart.”

Hospitalized since birth

Born at just 26 weeks and weighing only one pound, five ounces, Jesse spent his first 291 days in the NICU and Progressive Care Unit, enduring multiple surgeries that included placements of a tracheostomy and G-tube. Thinking back to that time, Jen says she didn’t even feel like his mom yet, she felt like a visitor.

When it was time to come home, Jesse was still on a ventilator, still medically fragile—with high-acuity care needs and a long road ahead.

Shanté helped make the hospital-to-home transition safe and manageable. She allowed the Silberts to ease into the joys and comfort of everyday life, finally together as a family. And she was there to work with Jesse and watch him blossom.

“Every milestone felt like a miracle, because nothing was ever promised.” – Jen Silbert

Caring for Jesse, Shanté helped him reach developmental milestones once feared impossible. She handled medical crises that could have led to 911 calls, but didn’t, thanks to her skill, preparation, and judgment.

"You don’t get applause in home care,” she reflects. "You get a mom’s hug, or a toddler’s laugh—and honestly, that’s better."

Years later, Jesse is thriving at home and in pre-K with the support of his BAYADA care team. He is one of a million clients we have been proud to serve—with compassion, excellence, and reliability—for 50 years and counting.

Thank you to the Silberts and to Shanté for sharing your incredible story.

Watch their heartwarming video here.