Toddler gets close-up view of sports medicine after pregnant mom’s babysitter cancels
And just like that, Megan Meier has a new nickname: “Supermom.”
It’s what people are calling her after a photo of the Oklahoma sports medicine physician working at a recent high school football game went viral.
Meier, who at the time was 35 weeks pregnant, was photographed on the sidelines tending to a player. Strapped to her back is her 3-year-old daughter Kate.
“Sports Medicine Doctor Mom - this is what happens when you are 35 weeks pregnant, husband leaves town for the weekend, childcare for 3yo falls through, and you have a game to cover!” she wrote when she posted the photo to a private Facebook page for physician moms.
When the photo went viral, Meier wrote on her professional Facebook page that she shared the picture to show her fellow mom colleagues “a visual representation of what we all do each and every day.”
She told People magazine that working the high school football game is an unpaid gig. Even so, she didn’t want to bail on the team that night just because she didn’t have a babysitter — especially on opening night of the new season for Putnam City North High in Oklahoma City.
“I knew I had to make it work,” she told People. “As the team doctor, I care for their team on a volunteer basis and if I didn't go, there would be no one to provide medical care at the entire event.”
When she decided to take her daughter to the game with her, she had to come up with a way to keep her safe while she worked.
“I knew the sideline wasn’t safe for a toddler, so in a pinch, I decided to grab our old Ergo baby carrier and strap my daughter on my back and get to work,” Meier told the Today show.
Meier also works with the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City Ballet and other local dance groups, according to ABC News. On Facebook she calls herself “the dance doc.”
She told ABC she was “most surprised by how many people the picture touched and in different ways.
“I have had so many people reach out to me, telling me how inspiring they find the photo for a variety of reasons. I have connected with so many strong, interesting people who have shared their stories, their struggles and their victories. It's pretty awesome.”
This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Toddler gets close-up view of sports medicine after pregnant mom’s babysitter cancels."