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Celebrate Child Life Week July 8 - 14

Hospitalization can be unnerving enough when you are an adult. Imagine how scary the experience can be for a child. Luckily, child life specialists at MUSC Children's Hospital devote themselves to making a child's hospitalization experience as understandable and close to normal life as possible. Professionals trained in the child life field will be honored by children, families and the staff at MUSC Children's Hospital during the second annual Child Life Week, July 8 - 14.

Child life specialists provide psychosocial care to infants, children, youth and their families in health care settings to reduce the impact of stressful or traumatic life events or situations. The purpose of child life services is to encourage emotional well-being and normal development through the use of play, education and support.

Child Life Week celebrates the dedication of child life specialists at MUSC Children's Hospital and nationwide. Their mission, to humanize the health care experience for children and families, can be contagious, affecting all clinical and support staff who care for pediatric patients. At MUSC, child life specialists appear in both inpatient and outpatient areas, from the Pediatric Emergency Department to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. They explain procedures to children with their dolls or puppets, help children play and support families during what may be an overwhelming experience.

Child life specialists hold bachelor or master's level degrees in child life, child development or related fields and complete internships of at least 480 hours as part of their professional training. Most sit for the Child Life Professional Certification Examination and become certified child life specialists. 

For information on the field of child life, visit http://www.musckids.com or http://www.childlife.org.
 

Specialist prepares patient for transplant

by Betsy McCutcheon
Pediatrics, Child Life
On a blustery January day in 1996, I was paged to a patient's room on 7A of the Children's Hospital. The message read: “Come to *Chris' room ASAP.” 

I knew 12-year-old Chris very well from the frequent and extended admissions for exacerbation of his cystic fibrosis. Chris was now dependent on 24-hour oxygen and was on a waiting list for a lung transplant. 

As I entered his room, I saw an unfamiliar sight: Chris crying. This was rare. Usually a happy, outgoing and talkative boy, Chris had an enthusiasm that was contagious and handled hospitalization like Michael Jordan handles a basketball. “My lungs are ready in North Caroina. They want me to fly up there and have my transplant!” 

I sat down with Chris and discussed his worries. Then he struck a deal, “I will go if you go too.” So child life specialist and patient took off in the MUSC fixed wing to ChapelHill, N.C. 

As this was Chris' first flight, we discussed what he would hear, feel and see as we took off. Once in the air, the conversation turned to preparing him for surgery. “What if my family does not get there before surgery and what if I never wake up?,” he asked.

Within the next hour, high above the clouds, we came up with a plan to help Chris understand and cope with his medical experience. Chris' family did meet him at the hospital and the surgery did go well.   When I saw him again a month later, his comment to me was, “Wow, I did not know lungs were supposed to feel this light!”
*Name was changed for confidentiality purposes.