Dear Sparrow Pediatric Inpatient Unit
Dear Sparrow Pediatric Inpatient Unit,
A few weeks ago, my son Carter was admitted to your unit for a little over 24 hours with extremely low platelets, which was later diagnosed as Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
From the second we arrived, we were overwhelmed with the level of care and kindness shown throughout our stay. We were greeted and welcomed and as we checked into our room, I noticed right away the fleece blanket on the bed. What a nice touch for kids to feel a bit more snuggly in their hospital bed! Then, we were shocked to see a tub of toys in the room. My son had a coloring book, Legos, transformers, and several cars to be able to play with. Carter, of course, got busy with those right away.
Our family was able to plan and pack to come to you- we knew several hours in advance that a hospital stay was imminent so we were able to bring Carter's blanket, stuffed animal, and some games and toys to be able to keep him busy. I can imagine a lot of families don't have that luxury so to be greeted with toys and a snuggly blanket was amazing.
The extra mile of compassion did not end there.
During our stay, Carter was able to see Prince Aladdin and Disney princesses, spend time loving on a therapy dog, make a Christmas ornament, and have some wonderful play time when my niece visited him in the play area. We were only there a bit more than a day and we even got asked if we wanted our toy bin traded out for a new one because Carter might need to switch it up! There were many things we noticed that we didn't even take advantage of: DVDs, gaming systems, parent showers, snacks, etc. What a gift for all families and children who stay in your unit! It is hard to keep a small child occupied especially in such a small space. Your team pulls out all the stops to help children have positive experiences while in your care.
We were lucky- Carter felt perfectly fine during his stay in the pediatric wing. Besides needing to be physically careful (because of his extremely low platelet numbers), he was able to play and explore and move around. As I watched Carter play, I couldn't help think about how many children spend time with you all who don't feel good and who have physical limitations while in your care. The visits you provide and the staff and volunteers you have certainly make a scary and difficult time a little easier to bear.
All the doctors and nurses we saw were great with our son while also being able to talk us through what our stay would be like. Nurse Lauren was with us at first and we had Nurse Natalie overnight and then Nurse Lauren joined us again in the next day. They each were kind, compassionate, and showed our kiddo a lot of love. Nurse Lauren laughed at all his endless questions, jokes, and comments and Nurse Natalie was smart and efficient keeping his blood pressure cuff around all night so she didn't have to keep Velcroing and un-Velcroing it to help Carter stay asleep. Carter needed to be checked on almost hourly all through the night and Natalie was quiet as a mouse. Anyone involved in his blood draws and other checkups were great with him as well. You can imagine how scared my four year old was to be there and how unsure he was as he was poked and examined.
As we checked out Saturday evening, I was truly moved by how much love and kindness strangers could show to our son. I will never be able to convey how wonderful, caring, and professional each individual was that we spent time with and how grateful we all were for the systems you have in place to thoughtfully take care of the parents and children you see within your walls.
My family would love to do our part to support the work that you do- where could our time, talents, and treasure be put to best use? Are you in need of toys (new and/or used)? Do you need more DVDs? Art supplies? Games? What other supplies are in demand that we could donate? Please, please, I'm hoping you will write, email, or call letting us know how we can help!
Thank you so much for all that you do- each member of your team takes care of our most precious lives in their time of need. That is hard work, but important work.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year to you all.
A few weeks ago, my son Carter was admitted to your unit for a little over 24 hours with extremely low platelets, which was later diagnosed as Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
From the second we arrived, we were overwhelmed with the level of care and kindness shown throughout our stay. We were greeted and welcomed and as we checked into our room, I noticed right away the fleece blanket on the bed. What a nice touch for kids to feel a bit more snuggly in their hospital bed! Then, we were shocked to see a tub of toys in the room. My son had a coloring book, Legos, transformers, and several cars to be able to play with. Carter, of course, got busy with those right away.
The extra mile of compassion did not end there.
During our stay, Carter was able to see Prince Aladdin and Disney princesses, spend time loving on a therapy dog, make a Christmas ornament, and have some wonderful play time when my niece visited him in the play area. We were only there a bit more than a day and we even got asked if we wanted our toy bin traded out for a new one because Carter might need to switch it up! There were many things we noticed that we didn't even take advantage of: DVDs, gaming systems, parent showers, snacks, etc. What a gift for all families and children who stay in your unit! It is hard to keep a small child occupied especially in such a small space. Your team pulls out all the stops to help children have positive experiences while in your care.
We were lucky- Carter felt perfectly fine during his stay in the pediatric wing. Besides needing to be physically careful (because of his extremely low platelet numbers), he was able to play and explore and move around. As I watched Carter play, I couldn't help think about how many children spend time with you all who don't feel good and who have physical limitations while in your care. The visits you provide and the staff and volunteers you have certainly make a scary and difficult time a little easier to bear.
My family would love to do our part to support the work that you do- where could our time, talents, and treasure be put to best use? Are you in need of toys (new and/or used)? Do you need more DVDs? Art supplies? Games? What other supplies are in demand that we could donate? Please, please, I'm hoping you will write, email, or call letting us know how we can help!
Thank you so much for all that you do- each member of your team takes care of our most precious lives in their time of need. That is hard work, but important work.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year to you all.
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