August 7, 2018

It is that time of the year again; the end of summer means the beginning of a new school year. Texas Children’s Hospital’s Social Work Department organized a back-to-school fair to provide information to patients and their families to help them prepare for the new school year.

“Events like this provides community organization opportunities,” Social Work Manager Jackson Huynh said. “It allows them to reach and serve Texas Children’s patients and families affected by childhood illness that other community organizations will not be able to reach and serve due to a child’s hospitalization and/or rigorous outpatient treatment plan.”

On July 31, the Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Center Auxiliary Bridge quickly filled with tons of patients and their families waiting to take advantage of the opportunity to receive free school items.

Texas Children’s relationships and partnerships with many groups and agencies made way for a great response when it came to soliciting organizations to participate.

Below are the groups that occupied tables with information along with a few goodies for children and their parents to take with them.

  • One Step Closer Foundation – a non-profit, charitable organization whose main goal is to ease, as much as possible, the lives of those who suffer from cerebral palsy.
  • Houston Food Bank – a private non-profit organization and a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network.
  • Neuhaus Education Center – a non-profit educational foundation dedicated to promoting reading success.
  • Families Empowered – a non-profit organization founded to support the escalating number of families searching for a great school for their child.
  • Disability Rights – recognizes the varied needs of people with disabilities in Texas.
  • HEP Bookstore – a homeschool resource; a bookstore specializing in instructional materials & books for home schooling in a range of subjects.

The One Step Closer Foundation provided the DJ and decorations for the bridge. In addition the foundation, along with the Houston Food Bank, backpacks and school supplies were also given away to patients and their siblings. The fair also provided opportunities for Texas Children’s departments such as Nutritionist, School Coordinators, Animal Assisted Therapy Program, Child Life, the hospital Dieticians, and schoolteachers, to showcase their skill set so that parents and students are more confident and prepared for the upcoming school year.

There was even a photo area created for parents to take school photos of their children. This was a very popular portion of the event for families, as it creates normalization for those who are not able to leave the hospital to attend school and pictures.

The social work department’s goal has been to create an immense presence and emphasize their role in maintaining exceptional patient experience year round.

“We work with families and provide them resources for the various agencies present, so we thought it would be great to bring the agencies here to the hospital,” Social Work Clinical Specialist DeAdra Cage said. “Providing resources to help parents work with the various schools is a big part of our job as Social Workers.”

Many parents who have children in the hospital may not have the time or financial ability to purchase all the necessities needed for school. This event was able to help make the start of the school year a little easier and among all things, let parents know that Texas Children’s is there to support them and their needs.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to assist our families who already have so much going on,” Cage said. “We are very proud of the outcome. As we anticipated, we had an awesome turnout! We were focused on helping the patients and siblings who happened to be on site the day of the event.”

With a goal of helping 300 children, the actual end result was 500. The back-to-school fair was an overall success and the Social Work Department hopes to make this an annual event for many years to come.

July 17, 2018

On July 9 the Cancer Center clinic surprised outpatients with a visit from Elsa, one of Texas Children’s three therapy dogs.

With the dogs constantly making their rounds throughout the hospital visiting inpatients, at times outpatients miss the opportunity to see their furry friends.

“Elsa and I spent a lot of time with the hematology oncology inpatient population during our first year and a half,” said Animal Assisted Therapy Coordinator, Sarah Herbek. “Our patients began to look forward to coming to the hospital and seeing Elsa during their admission. Their journey doesn’t end when they are discharged, and neither should their relationship with Elsa.”

As Elsa’s handler it was Herbek’s goal, along with other members of the Child Life department to provide continuity of care by following these patients throughout their entire treatment journey, inpatient and outpatient.

“I think Elsa and our Pawsitive Play Program have been especially impactful with our cancer patients because of the long duration of their treatment,” Herbek said. “Our patients come to Texas Children’s on a regular basis for months and sometimes years. Elsa’s presence is something they are able to look forward to during those times. They know that Elsa will be there when they need a shoulder to cry on, a paw to hold, or a furry friend to snuggle with.”

The hospital launched its Pawsitive Play Program in 2016 and it has become highly appreciated throughout the organization in just that small amount of time. The goal of the committee that introduced this program was to use animal-assisted therapy to enhance the emotional well-being of pediatric patients by reducing their anxiety, perception of pain and fear of hospitalization.

“As Executive Vice-Chair, I represented the Department of Pediatrics on Texas Children’s Hospital Facility Dog Steering Committee,” said Dr. Susan Blaney, director of Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers. “This committee is actively exploring multiple opportunities for children and their families to benefit from therapy dogs.”

Cancer treatment can be very painful physically and mentally. Adding a trained therapy dog to this stressful environment can increase a patient’s energy level and decrease any discomfort or anxiety.

Also, a lot of the patients in the clinic have severe conditions and are not able to experience situations that other children their age would. For one patient the visit from Elsa fulfilled this void with it being her first time interacting with a dog.

“It is very important for patients receiving treatment in the Cancer Center to be able to have time with Elsa because it is a meaningful interaction during a difficult time,” said Child Life Specialist, Katy O’Dell. “These interactions can boost the patients overall mood by allowing them to engage in activities with Elsa that are fun and interactive, which most importantly brings a smile to their face.”

Now that the Pawsitive Play program has grown and added both Bailey, the Legacy Tower therapy dog, and Pinto in Acute care, it has become even more impactful.

“The positive psychosocial impact of the therapy dogs is better than that of any medicine that we could prescribe,” said Blaney. “We are so thankful that Texas Children’s supports the therapy dog program and that we have world class child life specialists who work with this program to handle the dogs as well as to provide support to the children and their families.”

July 3, 2018

Patients and their families enjoyed a summer camp in the hospital for two weeks in June, when Camp For All 2U was brought to Texas Children’s Hospital’s Medical Center and West Campuses.

Camp for All 2U is a unique, barrier-free camp that brings the same eventful camping experience to patients and their siblings. Many patients may have missed out on those valuable experiences because they are in the hospital.

The program transformed areas of the hospital into camp spaces providing patients, who may not get the experience of camp outside of the hospital, the opportunity to enjoy a variety of games and activities. With a different theme each day, camp activities included archery, canoeing, arts and crafts and much more.

“So many kids look forward to summer camps each year,” said Child Life Specialist Sarah Herbek, who collaborated with Camp For All 2U to bring the experience to Texas Children’s. “It’s a time to step outside of their comfort zone, try new things, make new friends and create lifelong memories.”

Camp For All 2U at West Campus was an expansion of the Medical Center Campus event and generously funded by the Wood Group. After returning for the second consecutive year, Child Life Specialist Riley Hammond said that it was easier to prepare this year and patients and families were eager for the event to begin.

“The kids are incredibly engaged and excited,” said Hammond. “It is so great to hear all of the singing and laughter; the hospital is filled with lots of joy while they are here.”

View photos from Camp For All 2U below.

Camp For All is for inpatients, as well as outpatient kids, whose parents may struggle with finding group experiences for their child with special needs or just need some time to themselves.

“They are getting a chance for respite,” said Hammond. “Here at camp, the Camp For All 2U staff is specially trained to work with children of all abilities and we have hospital staff and volunteers that are trained to assist as well.”

Although there is a pre-registration process, patients are more than welcome to join in on the fun if they happen to come across the camp activities. According to Herbek, at Main Campus, a mother passed by and requested information about Camp for All 2U program; but initially assumed her child could not participate since he was not in a wheelchair.

“After finding out that he could not only participate in Camp for All 2U, but he was also eligible to attend overnight camp at Camp For All’s campsite in Burton, she was in tears,” said Herbek. “She was genuinely surprised that we would be able to adapt camp activities to meet her son’s needs. That is what makes this week of Camp for All 2U so special. It is truly meant ‘For All.’ Our goal is to show kids of any ability what they can do, not what they can’t do.”

For more information about Camp For All, visit http://www.campforall.org/.

June 26, 2018

Marial Biard, May 2018 Employee

Your name, title and department. How long have you worked here?
Marial Biard, Music Therapist, Child Life Department. I have had the privilege of working at Texas Children’s Hospital since February, 29 (Leap year) 2016.

What month are you Super Star for?
May 2018

Tell us how you found out you won a super star award.
My assistant director summoned me in for a “brief in-person meeting” in her office. Turns out I was instead being awarded, a pleasant surprise. I later got to celebrate with my department, family and the Texans. It was a whirlwind day.

What does it mean to be recognized for the hard work you do? How has the organization helped you achieve your personal and professional goals?
It means the world to me! It also means that Texas Children’s is now understanding and appreciating creative arts as a means to help in the healing of the “whole child.” Children need more than medicine to get better. I will always be grateful to Texas Children’s for giving me the opportunity to provide and promote music therapy services. Music Therapy enhances our patient’s opportunities to learn, express, and play while they heal and rehabilitate. It positively impacts the way both parents and patients view their hospitalization experience. By letting me explore and create alongside of my patients this organization has helped me learn not just to hear but to listen, not just to see but to have vision, and not just to speak up but to sing proud.

What do you think makes someone at Texas Children’s a super star?
In my opinion you are a Texas Children’s super star when the people you serve and work alongside of no longer see you as an individual, instead they see the actions and services that embody our core values to embrace freedom, lead tirelessly, live compassionately, and amplify unity. It seems I am now an embodiment of patient’s stories; when I walk into a room I hope people see service that has deeply impacted a patient’s admission or coworker’s career. Instead of seeing me, I hope they remember sessions that have brought great joy or great comfort to a time in someone’s life when it was most needed.

What is your motivation for going above and beyond every day at work?
The children I serve; the opportunity to be the favorite part of someone’s day. I think it is so cool and humbling that I get to help be a light in a child and/or family’s darkest time – to help them continue to make happy memories, celebrate milestones, and show them that every facet of their child’s care is being taken into the deepest consideration.

What is the best thing about working at Texas Children’s?
The people I work beside every day. Texas Children’s Hospital has knocked it out of the park in bringing in people who are equal parts – head, heart and hands. The brilliance, service, leadership and passion every member of our team exudes is what pushes Texas Children’s to the top of the “dream job” charts. Our team knows what it means to serve the greater good.

What does it mean to you that everyone at Texas Children’s is considered a leader? What is your leadership definition?
My definition of leadership is this: If you are a leader, the true measure of your success is not how far you go, but how far those around you go as well. I believe everyone at Texas Children’s is a leader and therefore it is our responsibility to continually raise one another up, to push each other for the common goal of improving the health and lives of the kiddos and families we serve.

Anything else you want to share?
I would like to express gratitude to the people beyond the walls of Texas Children’s who have supported and sustained me through my career. Thank you to my family, husband, fellow music therapists and friends. Your unwavering love has given me the courage, knowledge and freedom to do my best every day.

Do you know someone who exemplifies our values? Then be sure to nominate them today!

May 29, 2018

It is only right for the newest employees to formally greet the people who had a hand in bringing them on the team. That was the case when Pinto, Texas Children’s newest therapy dog, had his official meet-and-greet with The Auxiliary board members.

On May 17, Pinto arrived in the lobby of Feigin Tower, and immediately received hugs, cuddles and lots of love from The Auxiliary. The group took a photo and then headed into their recurrent meeting.

Pinto was generously funded through a gift from The Auxiliary to Texas Children’s Hospital. They are a volunteer led organization that has been providing compassion to patients and their families for over 60 years.

A year ago, the first therapy dog and her handler attended an Auxiliary board meeting, to enlighten the members about the Pawsitive Play program and its tremendous impact that it has on patient care and experience. The members of the board were so moved that one of them spoke up and asked how the Auxiliary could support the expansion of the program.

“The Auxiliary to Texas Children’s Hospital is thrilled to welcome Pinto to the hospital family,” said Nancy Baycroft, President of the Auxiliary. “His presence throughout the halls of the hospital brings a smile to all of our members, and more importantly to our patients and families.”

Pinto is a two-and-a-half-year-old male golden retriever, and the hospital’s third therapy dog. His job is to enhance the emotional well-being of pediatric patients by reducing their anxiety, perception of pain and fear of hospitalization.

After the meeting was called to order, he and his handler Shelby Bonnet took the floor to introduce themselves. Bonnet spoke about her experience and role as a child life specialist, who collaborates with medical teams and physical and occupational therapists to visit with five to ten patients each day who are having a particularly difficult time during their hospitalization.

She elaborated on the process of becoming a therapy dog handler, as well as what it took to get Pinto to Texas Children’s. Following a few questions from the board members about Pinto’s connection with patients, Bonnet briefly described an incident when Pinto was able to comfort a 12-year-old who was struggling tremendously.

“The moment he got into her bed she had a breakdown,” said Bonnet. “And within 30 minutes she began to become calmer and open up about her fears of being at the hospital.”

The board members reacted with admiration and smiles from ear-to-ear. At that point they knew that Pinto would have the impact on patients that they expected.

“The Auxiliary board feels immense pride when they see the faces of our patients and families light up! Child Life has already shared stories of the impact Pinto has made,” said Baycroft. “Pinto is one of the most meaningful gifts the Auxiliary has given to the hospital.”

Pinto will be working in Acute Care, including units like Inpatient Rehab, the Emergency Center, and others around the hospital, providing distraction and motivation to patients undergoing certain medical procedures, along with his trusted handler.

May 16, 2018

It’s prom season and for the first time inpatients and outpatients at Texas Children’s Hospital were able to experience this monumental occasion on-site at the Medical Center Campus. Friday was a night to remember as West and Wallace Tower floors were turned into a Hollywood Night’s themed extravaganza for the hospital-wide prom.

The Child Life department, hosted the prom for all Texas Children’s teens to be able to experience a night of glitz, glam, and guaranteed fun.

“I was so excited to see the joy on these kids’ faces, and have a normal high school opportunity that they wouldn’t get ordinarily,” said Zoe Williamson, Child Life activity coordinator. “It was great seeing them celebrate that here with their friends they met at the hospital, and to just be teens for the night.”

Certain floors across the hospital were designated for patients to get dressed to impress. A local salon called Dry Bar styled the female patients’ hair, while the males got their hair transformed at the in-hospital salon. Kendra Scott, a popular jewelry and accessories boutique, also provided beautiful stones and chains so that the patients would be able to create their own jewelry set to match their outfits for the night. Lastly, international cosmetic company, Sephora, came on-site to apply makeup adding the finishing touches to their appearance. Child Life also partnered with several donors, to provide formal wear for all patients who participated.

After patients were finally dressed in their prom best, it was time to walk the red carpet towards the mesmerizing lights and exhilarating music. The first stop down the red carpet was the photo booth, where patients were able to take pictures with their dates and families. Just down the hall, double doors opened to a room with refreshments for attendees to partake in as well.

Parents said their goodbyes as most of them either left and came back when the event was over, or waited in a designated area. One parent, Betty McGee, stayed with her son to make him more comfortable and soothe his nerves about the night. However, his reaction to the music, dancers, and several kids his age enjoying themselves, made her rethink her decision as she was stunned by how enjoyable and ultimately therapeutic this night was for him.

“This has really made my night,” said McGee. “I have been crying, I’m overjoyed, it’s a miracle, because he would stand, but he would never stand this long.”

The Child Life department knew how much this night would mean to patients and their families at the beginning of the planning stages. Their goal was to provide normalization for them, and according to many patients they were successful.

“I am actually missing my school prom, so I was really excited at the opportunity to go still,” said Ella Ware. “The music was great and it’s just a great opportunity for the patients to be able to come and have fun, in a setting where they don’t really have to be embarrassed.”

For four hours they danced to resounding, kid-friendly tunes that even drew in on-lookers such as nurses and doctors who wanted to witness the excitement themselves. The event turned out to be much more of a success than expected and has paved the way for a more extravagant event for years to come.

“We hope that the amount of participants doubles next year, and grows and grows every year,” said Williamson.

April 17, 2018

The hospital’s canine crew now has a male pup joining the team. He has officially been added to the roster as a part of Texas Children’s Pawsitive Play Program that uses animal-assisted therapy to enhance the emotional well-being of pediatric patients by reducing their anxiety, perception of pain and fear of hospitalization.

Pinto is a two-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever who was generously funded through a gift from The Auxiliary to Texas Children’s Hospital, a volunteer led organization that has been providing compassion to patients and their families for over 60 years.

He will be working in Acute Care, including units like Inpatient Rehab, the Emergency Center, and others around the hospital.

Like Elsa and Bailey, Pinto will offer distraction and motivation to patients undergoing certain medical procedures, along with his trusted handler. Shelby Bonnet is a Texas Children’s child life specialist who collaborates with medical teams and physical and occupational therapists to visit with five to ten patients each day who are having a particularly difficult time during their hospitalization. She is looking forward to expanding her role, and transitioning into being the newest therapy dog handler.

“I have been able to see the great work that Sarah and Adair (other therapy dog handlers) have done with Bailey and Elsa,” Bonnet said. “I am really excited to incorporate Pinto into helping patients and families around the hospital.”

As a child life specialist, who worked in the Emergency Center, Bonnet is no stranger to creating a comfortable atmosphere for children in a difficult environment, and Pinto is able to connect with patients in ways that no one else can.

Recently, Pinto took a small tour around the hospital to become more acclimated with patients and his co-workers. Just like any other employee, he was greeted by his fellow co-workers with the warmest welcome, encouragement, and motivation to uphold Texas Children’s mission of creating a healthier future for children and women throughout our global community.

“I expect a lot of promoting some normalization in the hospital,” Bonnet said. “I really hope that Pinto is able to help decrease anxiety, and to be an encouragement during procedures.”

Pinto is a bit larger and a shade or two darker than Bailey and Elsa, so it will be easy to spot him around the hospital. He is still adapting to being in this environment, but feel free to greet him and show that he has all of the love and support from his Texas Children’s family.