Preemie News Winter 2009 - Mount Sinai Hospital

More documents

Recommendations

Info

NICU GRADUATE, SULLIVAN,TELLS HIS STORY AT ATUESDAY PARENT GROUPEVENINGOn Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at the first NICU parentgroup gathering of the new year, 10-year old Sullivan toldhis story. He was born at 27 weeks, weighing a mere600gm. His brother Griffen was stillborn.Ironically, exactly ten years ago his parents, Maureen andAndrew, had been attending the parent group. Thefamily brought supper for NICU parents and staff. Ahuge birthday cake celebrating Sullivan’s birthday (as wellas his sister Bailey’s 6 th birthday) was enjoyed by all.Parents in attendance were inspired to meet such ahappy healthy 10-year old who faced so many challengesin the NICU. The nurses who cared for Sullivan ten yearsago commented on how rewarding it was for them tomeet Sullivan.This was the second time in the last few months that aten year old returned to the group to tell his story. Thisfall, Stephen Gray told his story and also gave hope to theparents in attendance. Ten years ago his parents, Chioand James, also attended the parent group. At that time,no supper was provided. Once Stephen was home, Chiodecided to make and deliver sandwiches to the grouponce a month because she remembered how difficult itwas to find time for supper when Stephen was in theNICU. Today, pizza dinners are provided through theongoing generous donations of families who haveattended the group.Sullivan with special nurses who were thrilled to meet him again.Here is the text of Sullivan’s speech to the ParentGroup, Tuesday, January 6, 2009My name is Sullivan Nash.I was born on November 8, 1998.What was special about my birth?I was small and I was skinny.I was the first born.My sister’s name is Bailey.I am in grade 4 in a French school.I like playing: videogames, board games,sports, etc…. My favourite foods arechocolate, cheese, pasta, etc…I do not like vegetables and fruits andneedles and bees and dogs (except for thosewho I know.)I can make good sandcastles, I dance well. Ihave just learned to ski.I find it difficult to write certain words thatI have not written before and to draw acomplicated picture.My dreams are to become famous and rich orbecome an author.The only things that I know about beingpremature is that I was born in an incubator,well, I was born and then put in an incubator,and my Dad’s ring was like a giant bigbracelet to me.The sports that I play are soccer, volleyball,basketball, swimming, skating and curling.Classes I have taken are: Hip Hop, acting,computer, animation andScience Center.Thank you very much forlistening and I would alsolike to thank the nurses,doctors and staff of Mt.Sinai that took care ofme. (Without them Iwould not be here).Sullivan and Dad4
MAKING A DIFFERENCE...Our final activity of 2008 was a wonderful HOLIDAY CELEBRATION, hosted by Lauren and Sam Pezzullowho initiated the Linden Fund to assist NICU families. Their son Linden was born at Mount Sinai at29 weeks, 5 years ago. About 60 people attended the event; NICU parents, siblings and familymembers as well as a number of members of the NICU Parent Advisory Committee and theirchildren. A delicious turkey dinner and a variey of desserts were served. NICU families werereassured and given hope by parents of NICU graduates who had been in similarcircumstances to their own.Current NICU babies received gifts from the Linden Fund. As well, Joyce Russell, theindustrious grandmother of Sianna Lee Russell born at 24 weeks 3 years ago, knittedhats and made outfits and blankets for all the NICU babies! Santa Claus made a specialappearance and provided entertainment and excitement for all in attendance.The NICU families were tremendously grateful to the generosity, kindness and understanding shownto them at this stressful time in their lives, having a baby in the NICU over the holiday season.PATIENT AND FAMILY CENTERED CARE CONFERENCEParent advisors, Kristen Christie and Lauren Pezzullo were invited to present at a seminar on Patient and Family Centered Care in Calgary, October2008. The following is Kristen’s account of the experience.Lauren and I had an incredible four days! They were tiring, uplifting, exhausting and exhilarating, butworth every single second and more. We had working breakfasts that began at 7:00am, working lunchesand our days ended at 5:30pm. It was like four years of university crammed into four days. Again, worthevery single second and more. We carried a binder to each grand ballroom, breakout and small groupsession that weighed about as much as a 1 year old. It was enough to make your back ache. Still, worth it.This binder contained every aspect of Patient and Family Centered Care. You saw things from a patient’sstandpoint, a family’s one and the staff’s. We even had the opportunity to look at things from a hospital’sbusiness angle. This binder is the bible for Patient and Family Centered Care.We were honoured to be asked to attend this conference and represent Mount Sinai’s NICU. We wereeven more thrilled to find out that we would be presenting. Okay, and nervous too! The Patient andFamily Centered Care Conference is attended by doctors, nurses and family members from around theworld. Lauren presented on the topic Newborn Intensive Care – Profiles of Change: Practical Strategiesand Lessons Learned. She spoke about how she became such an active volunteer within our hospital’sNICU and the value of parental involvement. She spoke to the new state of the art unit that our hospital iscurrently building. Discussed were the challenges in developing a new unit, from a structural standpoint,staff concerns as well as how it would affect patients. She brought attention to Mount Sinai’s Wall ofHope, the NICU Graduates Picnic and the education of staff. With the number of years that Lauren hasbeen an active volunteer and the amount of committees she has participated in she was the perfect choiceto dialogue on this topic.I spoke to the development and implementation of Patient and Family Peer Led Support programs. Wow,what a demand there was for information on this subject. There were questions being asked from thefloor before the presentation was even finished. There are so many hospitals out there that are so eager tohave the kind of family involvement that we do. We heard from doctors, nurses, families, social workersall with the same question “How do we create what you already have?” I gave them all the logistics, thestepping stones if you will. We talked about how to find volunteers, how to keep them, ways to supportthem, new ways to appreciate them. Still, I had to go back to a common theme that was reiterated timeand again throughout the conference. It was strong leadership and support from staff. I was fortunateenough to have both Frida Ardal and Diane Savage at my presentation and was able to point them out tothe attendees. I tried to drill the point home that it was people like them and Marianne Bracht who put5
Page 1: MOUNT SINAI HOSPITALPERINATAL PAREN
Page 6: such a value and worth on our time,

Preemie News Winter 2009 - Mount Sinai Hospital

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?