Where does the name Sweetbay Pediatrics come from? Dr. Galla has always loved gardening, and after growing up on the West Coast where native plants are drought resistant and it never rains in the summer, she fell in love with the lushness of Southern gardens. When she and her brother attended Duke together and both ran track, their favorite route for a quick run was the trail around the Washington Duke Inn. Pastel blossoms lined the path and large green leaves provided dappled shade above. Years later she would visit her brother and sister-in-law in Durham and marvel at their lovely garden which features many of those same flowering perennials, and a majestic magnolia. This has become her favorite quintessentially Southern tree. And since the untimely and tragic loss of her beloved sister-in-law to cancer in 2022, this tree is all the more sacred to her.
The Sweetbay Magnolia is special for having evergreen foliage and creamy white blossoms with a lemony fragrance. Early inhabitants of the South used the bark for medicinal purposes, which was boiled and used to treat arthritis, colds, coughs and fever. The Sweetbay's resilience in a variety of environmental conditions, ability to bloom and flourish with loving care and unique medicinal uses felt like the perfect representation of her pediatric practice.
Meet Dr. Galla
