A forever home

Alexis Allmon enjoying a welcoming hug from Peaks the Dragon®

Alexis Allmon, once a patient, is now one of our most loyal employees

“I try not to lose sight of how amazing this place is. Every day, I think ‘Thank you, God, for Cook Children’s.’ He used the doctors, nurses and child life specialists to save my life. All the right things happened at the right time and they led me here to the ED (and to my husband). Going to work every day is such a joy, knowing that I get to serve the place that served me first.” – Alexis

When Alexis Allmon started working at Cook Children’s more than five years ago, she didn’t have the typical first day jitters. That’s because she was no stranger to our blue peaks.

Born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain), Alexis was only 1 week old when she had her first surgery at Cook Children’s to place a shunt in her brain that would drain the fluid. Over the course of her childhood, Alexis had three more surgeries to revise or replace the shunt. She was also seen by Jeffrey C. McGlothlin, M.D., for a seizure disorder until she was 11 years old.

“Because of my early experience with Cook Children’s, I’ve always wanted to work here,” said Alexis. “The moment I turned 14, I was at Volunteer Services!”

Alexis volunteered for 10 years, escorting families, entering radiology data and rounding in the surgery waiting room and the Emergency Department (ED).

“When I was volunteering, the ED was my favorite place to be — I loved the energy and action,” Alexis recalled. “Whenever I finished a different volunteer round, I asked the coordinator if I could go back to the ED. I spent every Tuesday night there. I didn’t realize at the time that God was orchestrating my story.”

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Capella University, Alexis got her first paid position at Cook Children’s in the security and parking office. She worked full time while pursuing her master’s degree in social work, which she earned from the University of Texas at Arlington in December 2020. A year and a half later, Karaya James, manager of Case Management, asked Alexis to apply for a position in the ED. Alexis remembered loving her time in the ED and jumped at the chance.

Now, Alexis is a social worker in our ED, helping connect the dots for families. “In the ED, we try to be helpers for these families that find themselves in an unexpected place. They may not be coping well or know how to navigate these circumstances. We are here to connect them to resources to ease the burden of this crisis,” Alexis said.

“From our first meeting, I knew Alexis was talented and driven,” said Karaya. “Not only is she a valuable member of our team, but she is family. She works hard to support the other social workers, the department and the organization. Alexis truly exhibits the Cook Children’s culture. We are so lucky she sought a home with us.”

Alexis agrees that Cook Children’s has felt like home her entire life. She built relationships as a patient, a volunteer and now as an employee.

Fun fact: Alexis and her husband, Christopher met as teens and reconnected when he arrived at the badging office for his staff photo.