By Tori Lawrence, Summus Marketing Manager
As I reflect on my first few months of motherhood, I am in awe of how extraordinary and hard this experience has been. And I wouldn’t change any of it for anything in the world. I welcomed my son, Cannon, on November 21, 2022, and it is unbelievable how quickly six months have passed, months that have been filled with joy, wonder, and more love than I thought possible.
I am fortunate to be able to work from home, have schedule flexibility, and in-home child care that allows me to be present for all the amazing moments of seeing this new life grow, explore, and learn. I am able to relish every first—his first giggle, the first time he rolls over—and major milestones, like the first tooth and crawling—both of which are going to happen any day now! Schedule flexibility has also allowed our family to preserve the choices we made about how we want to raise Cannon, especially how we choose to feed him. Likewise, the environment Summus has created to support working parents has enabled me to be present for the moments that matter most, both personally and professionally.
“I am committed to creating an environment that supports colleagues at every stage of their lives, including working parents and especially working moms.”
Julian Flannery, Founder & CEO
Remote work and flexibility, combined with the genuine care and kindness that the Summus leadership team and my colleagues have shown is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I was a relatively new employee when I shared my pregnancy news with my coworkers, which was already a vulnerable moment for me. However, I was met with profound happiness and excitement by everyone in the organization—and their enthusiasm and support continues to this day.
During my maternity leave, I was given the space to completely disconnect from my role at Summus and use the time to heal and focus on bonding with Cannon. Yet, my colleagues were never far away. I received the kindest phone calls and text messages checking in on me. The outpouring of support and care continues today as colleagues are quick to ask me about motherhood and Cannon, including frequent requests for Cannon cameos on Zoom calls.
The impact of the work we do at Summus has become even more special to me. While I had a fairly typical pregnancy, I knew that if I had a health concern, I had access to the best medical expertise and could be completely confident in my path forward for care. This remains true today, too. I have Summus and it is one of the greatest gifts I could have as a new mom.
Summus’ mission to restore human connection in healthcare permeates all aspects of our work, from our corporate culture and policies to our commitment to ensuring that everyone has fast access to leading medical expertise. And it is this mission that makes me feel cared for as a human being first and foremost. This feeling is a key component of what drives me to be the best professional I can be and to help transform access to specialty care for all people.
I’m excited that Cannon will grow up and see how I’m contributing to something bigger, something that helps every person in the moments when they need support and guidance from kind, compassionate, and all around amazing humans.
Thank you, Summus, for creating a reality where working moms can have success in all aspects of their life.
And to all the mothers, whether it’s your first Mother’s Day or fiftieth or if you are a person who plays any role in nurturing children, happy Mother’s Day!
