Kayla Kanner

“Shift work is exhausting and the environment was really intense; as I had my own children, I reduced my hours accordingly. When I look back at spending 12 years working in critical care,  I don’t know how I did it. I couldn’t do it today,” reflects Kayla Kanner on her work as a nurse for 9 years in the Sick Kids Pediatric ICU, and prior to that for 3 years in the Neonatal ICU at Sunnybrook. Kayla had her first child in her 6th year as a nurse “It was harder being a nurse in the PICU as a mom. You start to see the other side of it, you imagine your own child in the child who is unwell. You empathize more with the parents.” She was still working as a nurse when the pandemic hit. “During Covid, it was even more emotionally difficult; I would become the support for the parent who was at the bedside when there was only one caregiver allowed. That person doesn’t ever get a break or have anyone to talk to or live through that with them.”

Kayla, also a former counsellor and medical director at Camp HASC, and a nursing instructor at York University is now manager and lead nurse of the Health Center at Havergal College (1200 students in JK-12 with 50 in the boarding school). “I enjoy being in a school environment and chatting with the students. When I interact with the older kids I feel like I’m getting little clues and insights into what my own kids are going to be like at those ages. Kids are fun and funny!”

When they had their third child, Kayla unexpectedly found her work life and home life intersecting. “Our youngest daughter Millie was born with an airway disorder. I became her 24 hour nurse. She had dozens of hospital visits, admissions, procedures, and 2 surgeries. I feel that every skill learned professionally set me up to be Millie’s mom and care for her. All the machines that I was familiar with in the hospital were now in my bedroom, skills that I never wanted to need to use on a family member were what helped me keep her breathing. My colleagues became her nurses and surgeons. I am grateful for the journey.” 

Kayla reflects on the community services that were there for her and her family’s every need, “And until we need to use community services, we sometimes don’t realize how valuable they are. Bikur Cholim, Chai Lifeline, Hatzolah. It’s hard to need help and it’s hard to ask for help but I always framed it as the things they are  doing for my family and my other kids are what Sam and I do not have the capacity to do because we are fully tied up in caring for our sick child. I feel like I can’t even give them a proper thank you.”

Kayla became certified as a first aid and CPR instructor last year. “You don’t want to have to need to use the skills, but to have the confidence and ability to respond to people in an emergency situation is really important. So that is my new passion. I feel very strongly that everyone should have these skills. 

Kayla and Sam are parents of 2 Netivot students and one future student. “I love that our kids have Israeli accents. I love their love of Israel, that it’s so natural and just a part of them. Our kids are proud to be Jewish!”