MOM LIFE
Meet Jess Smith
BY PJ FEINSTEIN
What do you love about the
work you do?
I have worked at MedStar Georgetown
University Hospital for 18 years. A few years
ago, I became one of the first board-certified
neonatal therapists in the world. It is an
honor to work with the tiniest, most-fragile
patients in the hospital. My role in the neonatal
intensive care unit (NICU) is to protect the
neurobehavioral development of these infants by
helping to recreate the protective environment
of the womb so the development that is
supposed to be happening in utero can happen
in a supportive and less stressful way.

Helping a mom hold her baby for the first
time, despite her fears and the many tubes and
wires, is one of my favorite things. Of course,
seeing my patients leave the NICU for home is
my absolute favorite thing.

What is the Juliet Grace Smith
Foundation? Pediatric
physical therapist at MedStar
Georgetown University
Hospital OCCUPATION:
LIVES: WORKS:
Arlington, VA
Washington, DC
HUSBAND: Chris
Addison, 13;
Mackenzie, 11;
and Sebastian, 7
CHILDREN: We’re looking for local moms and
dads who are juggling multiple
priorities and making a positive
impact in their community to feature
in our new Mom/Dad Life column.

Send your nominations to
editor@washingtonFAMILY.com. 40 Washington FAMILY MAY 2020
My husband, Chris, and I started the Juliet
Grace Smith Foundation in 2012 in memory
of our third daughter, Juliet Grace, who
passed away in 2011 from complications of
prematurity. She was born four months early,
weighing less than two pounds, and fought for
six months in the hospital before losing her
battle. So not only do I work in the NICU, I am
also a NICU parent.

This valuable perspective helps us choose
projects for the foundation that will improve
the experience of other NICU families while
remembering Juliet Grace. For example, we
host pampering parties every couple of months
for NICU families and have purchased com-
fortable recliners for parents and hundreds of
books for them to read to their baby while they
visit. We have also gifted $150,000 to fund sup-
port staff dedicated to the NICU at MedStar
Georgetown, such as a clinical psychologist and
a family support specialist.

summer, covering over 2,000 miles by car and
more than 50 miles by foot. Through it all, our
three kids stuck together. They encouraged
each other when one was struggling on a
trail or bored in the car, and they kept us all
entertained with jokes, pranks and playlists.

Experiencing that adventure together and seeing
our kids find so much enjoyment in our world
made me so proud to be their mom.

What do you find challenging
about raising kids?
One of my biggest challenges in raising my
three kids is that they are each so different and
can’t be parented in the same way. What works
for one child doesn’t necessarily work for the
others. I have to frequently remind myself who
I’m dealing with before responding, although
sometimes I fail at that and my words backfire.

The humbling apology that comes from me
next is sometimes the bigger lesson.

What’s something that makes
juggling motherhood and your
career a little bit easier?
Having a supportive husband who works
from home and has a fairly flexible schedule is
huge. Having a great group of friends to help
carpool everyone to and from sporting events
is invaluable. I absolutely could not do it
without my village. And teaching my kids at an
early age how to make dinner so that it’s done
before I get home from my long shift at work
is helpful, too!
What would you do if you
had one hour without any
responsibilities? Having the whole crew under the same roof all
of the time while social distancing leaves me
wanting some solitude. Right now I would love
one hour to lie in a hammock with a delicious
drink (maybe a bourbon barrel stout) and doze
off with a good book without a single interrup-
What do you love
tion. Prior to COVID-19, I would choose coffee
about being a mom?
with a friend to catch up, share a laugh, maybe
Watching my children grow into their own a few tears and a hug. That’s actually what I
personalities—struggling through challenges miss most: the hugs. n
and overcoming fears—and being proud of their
accomplishments is what makes my heart burst. Read our extended interview with Jess Smith at
We took a family trip to four national parks last WashingtonFAMILY.com.