Emily Sibbrell serves as a medical assistant at Associated Pediatricians in Portage. For her, working with children is something that she’s always loved to do.
“I’ve always liked kids,” said Sibbrell. “I used to be a swim coach, and it's just something I really enjoyed doing.”
As a medical assistant, she loves listening to the stories her young patients share when they come in for their appointments.
“They tell the best stories,” Sibbrell said. “If they bring a stuffed animal with them because they're worried, they tell me all about their stuffed animal. Or we talk about going on vacation, or what they did for their birthday.”
Watching her patients grow up is very rewarding for her.
“It's just great watching them grow up,” said Sibbrell. “We have the same kids from the time they were born. They're older now, and it is crazy.”
Between her stepchildren and her biological children, Sibbrell has four children of her own: Xander, Eve, Hailey, and Reid. She says being a mother has helped make her a better medical assistant.
“It definitely taught me patience, and they both go hand in hand,” Sibbrell said. “I’m able to bring what I learned from my patients to bring home with my kids, but overall it has definitely taught me patience, understanding, and compassion.”
While there is a significant age gap between the first three children in the family and Reid, Sibbrell says that all of the children are personally close. In fact, the entire family has learned a lot from Reid.
“Reid has a disability, so it's definitely, I think it's made us all a little more understanding and compassionate about things,” Sibbrell said.
He also makes Sibbrell and the other family members laugh.
“It's his world, and we just live in it,” said Sibbrell. “But yeah, he's, he's feisty, and he just makes us all laugh.”
This year marks 14 years as a medical assistant for Sibbrell. She works part-time at the hospital, which makes sense with her busy schedule as a mom.
“Everyone has a different schedule, so my calendar is full of different colors and where we need to be when we have the girls and their events and work schedules for the oldest boy and therapies for the youngest kid,” she said.
Sibbrell and her husband met almost 10 years ago and they have been married for six in total. The family does a lot together.
“We play games. We try to go out and do stuff when we're able to,” said Sibbrell. “We like to have dinner together. We watch movies together, and just try to spend as much time together as possible.”
As a mother, medical assistant, and more, Sibbrell’s world is certainly filled with children and she loves it! They bring a lot to her life and she brings a lot to theirs.