A Very Busy Sunday

It was snowy and gloomy on Sunday, meaning it would be a busy day in the hospital. When we walked into the waiting room, I was shocked by the amount of commotion. We got to work right away. A majority of the patients were babies, who were protectively held by their moms and unwilling to play with us. However, we did find a mom who looked in desperate need of some assistance. Haley and I went up to the little girl and twin boys and asked if they wanted to color. They were the sweetest kids and were so excited about the opportunity to play with us. One of the twin boys told us about how he had his appendix taken out at Children's and now his sister was in for some treatment. When the little girl's name was called, the mom took her daughter and left her twin boys in the waiting room with us. She did not have a phone, but her son did, so she borrowed his cell. As siblings of a hospitalized patient, the brothers became very close and depended on each other tremendously. They learned to be extremely independent and were very comfortable spending the afternoon with complete strangers. They were willing to open up to us and were excited with each game that we brought out. They had great attitudes, considering the situation.

We played with them the entire three hours, as we switched off taking care of other children as

 well. I saw a little girl with a puffy eye and a scratch below her eye lid. I asked if she wanted to play with some toys and she accepted my offer. We played and then met another little girl who was four years old. She seemed to have a slight memory problem, but was extremely sweet non the less. She was very open with me about her experience, probably due to her young age and desire for attention. 

There was also a one year old baby boy who continued to run up to us and steal the blocks. He was so cute and his parents continued to apologize for his behavior. As we stacked blocks onto wooden poles, an older mentally disabled child continued to grab crayons and run them back and forth between me and his mother. He was so cute and wanted to help clean up everything he saw.

In addition, I observed some of the siblings of these patients. One mother asked me if there was a place to warm up a bottle for her baby. When I asked a nurse, she told me that a patient must ask if he or she is allowed to eat or drink anything before seeing a doctor. When I reported this information to her, the mother said that it was for her baby who was the sister of the sick child. She had her hands full! Even though the baby obviously did not understand the setting he was in, his day was still affected by his sibling's hospital experience. 

After such a busy day, I went home and collapsed, feeling happy that I connected with and distracted so many children from their hospital experience.

Getting the hang of things

Yesterday was my third time volunteering at Children's. There were no complications and everything seemed second nature. I met Sarah in the volunteer office along with a new girl named Hayley. Together, we grabbed the cart and wheeled it over to the waiting room. To my surprise, it was completely empty. There was absolutely no one there! Sarah explained that on days that are sunny, the hospital is much calmer than on rainy days. 

After about half an hour, a wave of people entered the hospital. Most of the kids did not want to play and were satisfied sitting with their parents. Finally, I was able to connect with a few of the children, most of them were patients. One little boy was brought in because he was throwing up. His mom was very open and vented to me about her child's vomiting. I was pleasantly surprised by her openness. By the end, when it was time for him to leave, he was in tears and wanted to stay at the hospital!

Another little girl was a sibling of a patient. She seemed to stay to herself. She did not want to interact with me or play games with other children. I think that siblings, especially young children, tend to feel very out of place at a hospital. They are afraid or do not understand the environment they are in so they stay in their comfort zones: with their parents. 

There was another family who came in with a baby girl whose face was covered in blood. The mom's eyes were bloodshot and had tears streaming down her face. Her other daughter was excited to color with me  and distract herself from the trauma. The mother had a difficult time giving up her child, so she sat with me and helped her daughter stay busy. This family had a very different experience at the hospital than the last. 

All alone...

Today was my second visit to Children's Memorial Hospital. This time ran much more smoothly. I connected with Moira right away and I got right to work. She told me that Sarah was not going to be able to make it because she was out of town, so I was all alone. I thought this would be no problem because two weeks ago, the waiting room was pretty slow. Little did I know that one week does not predict the next. It was insane!!! There were at least fifty kids that I was to keep occupied for the three hours that I volunteered. There was one family, cousins and siblings of a patient, with six kids and two adults to supervise. The parents were completely overwhelmed and stressed about dealing with their child passed out in a wheelchair. I volunteered to help occupy the children and they gratefully accepted my offer. They were very needy for attention, as I tried to occupy dozens of other children. I found that the best way to play with all the kids was to start games that they could all be included in. I introduced different children to one another and they quickly became friends due to their common background of understanding hospitalizations. While these children were of all different ages, they did not care about their differences and were able to relate to one another immediately. They just wanted to be kept occupied and distracted from the frightening experience of being in a hospital. I noticed how needy the children were for attention. The parents probably are always preoccupied with their sick child that they subconsciously neglect to pay the same amount of attention to their other children. It felt incredible to be able to give these children an escape and an outlet for distraction.

After playing with the children, one woman began a conversation with Moira. She commented on how wonderful it was that I was volunteering and how well I got alone with the children. She said that I changed their hospital experience completely and it was such an incredible aspect of the hospital. I realized that I did have a way with children and I loved putting smiles on their faces. 

When I came home, exhausted and ready to rest, I filled my mom in about my day. I told her that I was very clear on how I wanted to spend the rest of my life: working with children. I loved being in the hospital and wanted to be a nurse at Children's; a place that worked wonders for kids. I love playing with kids, but also learning about the medical aspect as well. 

While today was a stressful day filled with tug-o-wars for attention, I felt completely accomplished and self-fulfilled at the end of the day. 

And I finally began...

After months of preparation and hours of orientation, I finally heard the words I had been waiting for; "Now you are ready to begin." A sigh of relief left my body, as I anxiously awaited my opportunity to play with the children. Moira introduced me to Sarah, a girl that attends New Trier who would be volunteering with me every other Sunday. She was so friendly and excited to help me get adjusted. 

I joined Sarah at a table who was coloring with a girl named Margarita. She was a six year old girl who was bilingual. We colored and then played a spanish/english game. She helped me with my spanish and I helped her learn some new english words by using animal stickers. She described her family and her trips to Mexico to visit her grandparents. 

Margarita was such an inspirational little girl. Her brother was behind the  mysterious hospital doors of the waiting room and she was completely care free. She kept herself entirely busy and did not ask for much attention from her parents. I think siblings learn how to be independent when in dire situations, such as hospitalizations. She has learned how to interact with strangers and be her own person. 

I also played with other little girls who spoke no english. It was a struggle to interact with them, but after a few minutes, I found a way to connect with them and keep them occupied. Something interesting that I realized was how many non-english speakers attended Children's Memorial Hospital. I remembered Moira telling me that many people come to the hospital for minor colds or stitches or even orthopedic procedures because they have no other clinical help to turn to. They know that the hospital will be there to provide aid, which is the wonderful quality of Children's. It was an extremely interesting observation. 

After playing with dozens of children, I began to think about my study. How were these children psychologically affected by their own hospitalizations or their siblings'? Were the children I played with too young and naive to understand the situation at hand or were they accustomed to the atmosphere and learned to be independent? This was something that I would be paying close attention to for the next couple of months during my visits. 

Learning the Ropes

Once my supervisor, Moira, and I met up, she began to show me the ropes. She first took me into the Learning Recourse office where she taught me how to sign in by punching in the last four digits of my social security number. Then we took a key and matched it to a locker for my bag. She showed me where the volunteer jackets were and where to wash my hands. 

Then, we went upstairs to the first level where she showed me where the toys were kept. I had to get the "moose key" to get into the closet where the buckets of toys were kept. As we walked upstairs, she discussed with me about the confidentiality of the patients and how important it is to act as a volunteer and not a social worker. I am there to act as a distraction, not a therapist. I also learned that if a child accidently tells me something that deservers immediate attention, such as abuse, I must tell her or a social worker so the hospital can lend its services. I learned that Children's Memorial, a place that I thought I knew so well, was so much more than a hospital; it was a miracle center. 

Moira also showed me where to clean the toys after being played with. Wiping the toys and washing my hands consistently were stressed tremendously because the hospital's main job is to keep children healthy. This was the easiest and most effective way. Next to the room where we cleaned the toys was a room for families to wait outside of the waiting room. Along with not being a therapist, I was also not to act as a babysitter. If the parents had to go with a child to his or her room, volunteers are not allowed to babysit the siblings. Therefore, the entire family is allowed to wait in a comfortable room with a television and toys. 

While I was given a ton of information in a short period of time, I felt prepared and eager to begin my work.

The Beginning Obstacles

In order to volunteer at Children's, I was required to get two TB tests, the chicken pox vaccine, flu shot and many other vaccinations. It took me several weeks to organize these appointments, but finally they were completed. 

On my first day, I had a lot of confusion. I arrived at one on a Saturday afternoon and walked down to the Volunteer Recourse Center. There was no one there! I went up to the front desk and they paged my supervisor. I ran up and down the stairs, searching everywhere. She was no where to be found! Then I went up to the Family Life Center, a place that helped occupy children during their hospital stays. The lady at the desk sent another page to my supervisor who finally responded. She had me meet her down by the office to begin the day. 

At 1:30, we finally came in contact. I was terrified that she would be upset with the fact that we were meeting late and my confusion. However, she was so friendly and comforted me. I learned that I was a volunteer and was doing a great thing by helping to put a smile on children's faces. Nothing is perfect and having an experience where I felt a little uneasy was okay. People in the hospital were dealing with much more significant and life threatening situations than I was. I felt guilty about my nerves as I put the situation into context. I really learned a lot through this stressful experience.

Orientation

To begin my process of volunteering at Children's Memorial Hospital, I went to a mandatory orientation session. Right from the beginning, I felt a little out of place in an environment so familiar to me. I was the youngest person there by 10 years, as I was surrounded by pre-med graduate students and elderly women looking for a volunteer opportunity. While I did not fit the "norm" of the population, I still found the session to be informative and helpful. I learned about dozens of needs the hospital catered to that I was unaware of. For example, there is a dream center where children can go play without any monitors or nurses holding them back. The patients are free to be kids during a stressful situation. 

This "dream center" serves the same purpose that I will during my volunteering. I will act as a distraction for the families during a stressful time in their lives. I am excited to interact with children and siblings who have been through similar experiences to me. While we may differ in age, as I did from many volunteers at the orientation, we will have a common bond of empathy for one another.