You may ask yourself why should I have my
child treated at a children's hospital or you may have never even thought about your child
ever needing a hospital. The latter describes me. It never occurred to me during my 9
months of pregnancy that I would need children's hospital of the kings daughters. However,
the day that i delivered my daughter, marina, the hospital became an important part of our
life. Marina was born with a cleft palate/lip and an ASD/VSD (two holes in her heart). Our
first contact with CHKD came with the surgeons that would repair her cleft. The next would
be with the cardiologists. The doctors although important do not really reflect the whole
picture of what CHKD 18 all about. The whole picture is from the moment you enter the
hospital. Your child becomes part of a large family that nurtures your child and helps you
(the parents) cope with the experience of your child being in the hospital.
My daughter has had 6 procedures done at CHKD in the last 3 years. She has had two major surgeries (one at 36
hours (cleft repair) and the other at 6 months (heart repair)), she was hospitalized for
14 days with feeding problems when she was 7 weeks old and the others have seen minor
outpatient procedures. I can not express enough how much it means when your child faces a
major operation or even a minor one that every part of the hospital is designed for
children. This includes both minor and major details. Your child who is waiting and
depending on age apprehensive about the procedure they are about to have is surrounded by
toys from the minute you enter the hospital. And as a parent who has experienced many
surgeries this is very, very important. The staff that admits you is warm and helpful. You
then meet the operating staff this is a pediatric staff and why wouldn't you want someone
who is experienced with children taking care of your child. They talk and comfort both you
and your child. The anesthesiologist is one who puts children to sleep every day not
someone who goes back and forth between children and adults. The surgeons are pediatric
based and have extensive experience with child surgeries. The nurses comfort and care for
the children as if they were their own. This is a very special staff and they should be
because they take care of very special people (our children).
Should you need to stay overnight with your child, you will also find that CHKD takes care of the whole
family. There is a sleeping chair available for a parent. The rooms are large and contain
a restroom with a shower so when you are staying close to your child you have some of the
comforts of home. They also have toys that you may check out to help entertain your child.
You have TV's in the room which helps you keep in touch with the world and also help your
child who may be confined to a bed. There are hospital volunteers that are their in case
you need to leave your child. There are family teas/soda/coffe meetings each week so you
can talk to other families that may be going through some of the same things you are. They
also have breast pumping facilities that are a great benefit for new mothers who want to
stay with their child but are worried about breast-feeding. (I personally used this when
my newborn daughter was in the hospital for her first surgery.) CHKD also allows siblings
to visit. Which is important for the whole family. They have special visiting areas on
each floor so you can visit with the whole family.
I cannot express enough good things about CHKD and what it has meant for my family over the past
three years. Although each of the procedures marina has seen through have been difficult,
I have never doubted that CHKD was the place to be we have found only the best doctors,
nurses and support staff at CHKD. This is truly the place for children and their families.
By Suanne Armstrong
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