Our Director of Advocacy & Community Relations, Darcy, has a gift for telling stories that stick with you. Recently, she shared one that perfectly sums up the heart of the work we do—told through an unexpected conversation in a coffee shop.
In it, she uses a metaphor about bricks and mortar to explain the kind of care we provide, why it matters, and how it holds families together during some of their hardest moments. It’s simple, it’s relatable, and it’s stayed with us ever since we heard it.
We think you’ll understand why.
Darcy’s Mortar Story
Brick sellers get a lot of attention, but someone has got to be in the mortar business. This is the piece of wisdom bestowed upon me standing in line at a local coffee shop. I was in a conversation with a man about my father’s age who asked me what I did for a living. As much as I love my job, I always cringe a little inside when I get this question—not because I’m embarrassed, but because it’s not a job people are expecting you to say when they ask the question. Most often, it leads to the response, “How hard.”
But in a refreshing turn of events, this man did not bat an eye when I said, “We take care of really sick kids so they can live at home,” and immediately asked me what we were especially good at. I love that question, but when I answered it, I frowned a little. “We are especially good at showing up in one of the scariest, most overwhelming times a family goes through.” But it’s an awkward thing to sell, which from a business perspective is kind of a downer. “It’s icky sometimes,” I explained.
We went on to discuss my reluctance with this specific, niche problem I was having. He said, “You sell the mortar.” I stared blankly as politely as I could, with coffee dribbling off the bottom of my cup. “The unglamorous stuff that holds it all together. The stuff nobody wants to have to buy but everyone with bricks has to buy eventually. You might as well be excellent at it.”
And that conversation has stuck in my mind like unglamorous mortar. We don’t want you to need nursing for your medically complex child, but we want you to have it when the unimaginable happens—because we think we’re the best. We think our services will support you in a way that makes people feel the most seen, because that’s the stuff that holds us all together, and that’s the business we are in.
Why the Mortar Matters
In home health care, the most important work is often the least flashy. It’s not the big, visible milestones that keep a family going—it’s the steady, reliable support that holds everything together in between. That’s the “mortar” Darcy talks about.
For families caring for medically complex children, the mortar can be a nurse who shows up on time every day, a care plan that adapts as needs change, or an advocate who listens and finds solutions when things feel overwhelming. It’s the quiet, consistent presence that gives caregivers the space to breathe, focus on their loved one, and keep moving forward.
The truth is, no one wants to need this kind of care. But when life changes in ways you never expected, having the right team in place—the ones who understand that it’s the little things, done well, that make the biggest difference—can change everything. That’s why the mortar matters.
Holding It All Together
No one hopes to need nursing for a medically complex child, but when the unexpected happens, having a team that shows up, listens, and holds things together can make the difference.
If you or someone you know needs skilled in-home nursing, we’re here to help so your family can focus on each other. We’ll focus on the care.
