PORTLAND, Ore. - When you watch 36-year-old Amy Paterson read to her 2-year-old son, the stress and strain from a difficult few years are far from evident.

But, because of what the Portland woman has been through, life could soon be a little easier for many of us.

Diagnosed two years ago with Stage 3 breast cancer, Paterson had to travel to the hospital 144 times for chemotherapy, radiation, a double mastectomy and more.

Sure, her situation was traumatic. But she still had to think of her son. Who would watch him during those 144 trips to the doctor?

"I was fortunate to have family and friends and my husband here who could help,” she said. “But became aware of so many people who don't have that resource available to them.”

And, because of that experience, a new approach to hospital visitations and child care was born. Paterson and her friend Melissa Moore developed “My Little Waiting Room,” a program to provide low-cost, on-site, safe child care at medical facilities.

It is drop in child care - much like you get at your gym or community center.

Nurses and doctors have been especially receptive.

"And most of them say to us, “Gosh, that is a great idea. I can't believe it doesn't already exist,’ ” she said. “And we say, 'It does - but not yet in the hospital.' "

And it's not just the adult patient that will get relief. Hospital visits can be very stressful for the kids.

"They need a place where they can go and they can be free to be a kid," Paterson said.

Paterson is pushing to get a model center up and working that other hospitals around the country can visit and take the idea back to their community.

It's a project that's both heartfelt and healing for Paterson.

"I can't cure cancer. I'm just a mom,” she said. “But if I can help make this journey easier for someone else then I'll feel like maybe the hardship that my family had to go through was at least not totally a loss."

Paterson said she's in the planning stages with a hospital site partner and she'll be making an announcement soon.

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