Sometimes the most meaningful moments of care happen when someone simply takes the time to be present.
While making her regular rounds at Texas Children’s Hospital, The Woodlands, Environmental Services (EVS) Houskeeper Maruja Caballero, heard a young patient crying. When she arrived at his room to collect the trash, she stopped in her tracks and moved into action to help.
Although Maruja was there to perform her daily duties, she immediately recognized the child needed something more. So, for a moment, she set aside her task and stopped to comfort him.
There was one challenge: Maruja speaks Spanish, and the young patient speaks English. Even so, Maruja found a way to connect. Through her warm presence and caring spirit, she helped calm his fears and bring comfort during a difficult moment.
The boy’s family later shared the profound impact of her kindness.
“He recently returned from surgery scared, emotional, and overwhelmed. His tears stopped, and her words touched all of our souls when he finally smiled and laughed at her. She brought him out of his scary moment, then told him she would be back the next day to check on him… and she kept her promise. She followed up the next day and continued to pour positivity into my son. Even though he didn’t understand her language, that didn’t matter. She is an amazing person.”
For Maruja, the act felt natural.
“It was something very natural,” she explained. “I simply felt the desire to comfort him when I saw that he was going through a difficult situation. It was an impulse that arose in me when I saw him crying and wanted to help him in some way. I started trying to calm him down without knowing how, trying to make him see that everything was going to be alright. After a while, everything started to flow, and he began to smile.”
Maruja has been a member of the Crothall team at Texas Children’s Hospital for the past two years, earning the respect and appreciation of colleagues through her compassion and dedication.
“Maruja exemplifies what it means to serve with compassion, consistency, and pride. Maruja has supported all shifts and brings a genuine sense of care to everything she does. She doesn’t just clean rooms, she creates a space of comfort and reassurance for our patients and their families,” said Yetunde Adeyinka, Director of Environmental Services.
That sentiment is shared by hospital leadership.
“Our Crothall EVS team is an integral part of our hospital family, grounded in shared HEART values and a deep commitment to our patients and families,” said Clarissa Bustillo of Texas Children’s Hospital. “Team members like Maruja don’t just support the environment of care; they create meaningful human connections in moments that matter most. Experiences like this reflect the compassion, ownership, and pride the Crothall team brings to our hospital every day, and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership.”
Maruja’s story is a powerful reminder that work done outside assigned duties can be just as important.
Yetunde said, “I make it a priority to remind my team that what we do goes far beyond cleaning. EVS is the foundation on which hospitals stand, and they should never lose sight of that.”
Maruja said she is always motivated to give her best.
“One of the things that motivates me to give my best is knowing that there’s always someone I can help with just a simple gesture or by going the extra mile and knowing that there’s always someone to offer our support in difficult situations is invaluable.”
Through a simple act of kindness, Maruja turned a frightening moment into one filled with joy.
