Thursday, March 16, 2017

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2009. At his birthday party, which was in the child life playroom of the hospital. Take a look at the birthday card he received from his art therapists! They knew Mattie LOVED roaches, or at least loved the fact that the notion made me sick. I am not sure Mattie ever saw a live roach. Any case, to me this photo is priceless! Look how proud he was to receive this card!


Quote of the day: But remember, boy, that a kind act can sometimes be as powerful as a sword. ~ Rick Riordan

Today I drove to Baltimore, MD with my friend Margy. It was a DAY LONG adventure to visit Children's Hospital at Sinai. In reality the hospital is about 50 miles away, but with DC traffic, things always take longer. To put this in context, it took us about two hours to drive home.

Mattie Miracle launched its second snack and item cart today. Our first cart is at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and now our second cart is in Maryland. 
Pictured here are Kristen (Child Life Specialist), Dr. Aziza Shad (Chief of Pediatrics), me, Laura (Child Life Coordinator), and Kelly (Child Life Specialist)


When Mattie was dying, Dr. Shad was the attending physician on call at MedStar Georgetown. Even though she wasn't Mattie's oncologist, Peter and I had many opportunities to interact with Aziza and of course I think you learn a lot about a person over the death of your child. Dr. Shad had to make a tough call about Mattie's death. His body was dying but his will did not want to die. Mattie was in agonizing pain and his room and bed looked like a war zone filled with syringes of pain meds. These syringes were given on top of the ones he was already getting through steady IV. Needless to say, Mattie had to be placed into a coma with propofol to die. It is a moment in time I will never forget, regardless of the number of years that go by. 

When Dr. Shad moved from MedStar Georgetown to Sinai Hospital, we decided to continue our support of our work. So we started by donating a snack/item cart. 

The cart was a huge hit today. The hospital gave us permission to post several photos of children we met along our journey today. Typically I do not like to feature children on our blog or website, because I am sensitive to their illness and do not want to highlight our accomplishments by exploiting a child's hardship and struggles.

I have made an exception to my rule today, because I could try to tell you there were smiles and happiness over the cart, but sometimes a picture says it all!

This fellow was priceless! As were all the children we met today. This cutie is five, and managed to deal with all of us transcending onto the clinic and hovering around. He was coloring in a Shamrock for St. Patrick's day and he and his mom were thrilled to get some items from the cart. 

I am not sure why meeting all the children and teens today impacted me so. As Margy said.... we met many 7 year olds today. The age Mattie was at when he died. Her comment resonated with me because it is hard not to see Mattie in these little ones.  

Julien was wearing a hat that said... cancer can't beat me. I think what struck me about the children I met today was their incredible strength, courage, and overall positive 'can do' attitude. Which truly is remarkable. 

So many of their faces remain with me tonight, because the child life staff brought us into every room and gave us an opportunity to talk with the children and parents. We weren't only delivering treats, but connecting with people. Which is what I love best. 

After visiting the outpatient clinic, we went to visit the inpatient pediatric units. This hospital is designed beautifully, with every room and detail thought through to make a family comfortable. 

This is Daniel. He had just undergone a painful procedure. But when he came out to see the cart and receive a star balloon from us, his demeanor changed. It is wonderful to be able to personally see the difference a snack can make. 

This cutie is Graham. He was also unforgettable. You can see in the lower left hand corner of his bed all the goodies he picked out for himself and his parents. He has the sweetest smile and I asked him if I could capture it!

After touring the outpatient clinic, the inpatient units, and the pediatric ER, Margy and I went to lunch with Dr. Shad. 

Margy and I in front of the sea creature sculpture as you enter the children's hospital!