It was a quite a week for Sadie’s Gift! Jason and I were honored to be included in the opening of the new Johns Hopkins Hospital entrance and dedication of two new towers: The Sheihk Zayed (adult) Tower and the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center. The MOST exciting part was the realization of the Sadie Elizabeth Abell Family Consult Room!
In 2007 when Sadie’s Gift was created, our first goal was to support the construction of the state-of-the-art new Children’s Hospital. As it has been said many times over the past week, Hopkins now has a facility that matches their reputation and the excellence of the doctors, nurses and staff.
The pictures don’t really do it justice, but we’ll give you a little background. If you’ve ever been to the current Chidlren’s Center you will know its a maze, a dinosaur, congested and just plain old. It is also two towers away from the adult building.
Dr. Nelson reenacts sitting on the floor during consults.
When Sadie was transferred from Howard County General Hospital to Hopkins, I transferred as well to the post-partum unit. Unfortuately, I developed a severe headache resulting from a spinal leak (from the epidural) and the only relief was to lie flat. It’s hard to lie flat in a wheelchair, standing by your child’s bedside, or talking about her prognosis in a broom closet of a consultation room where the team of doctors don’t fit and some have to sit on the floor! Needless to say, we were supportive of the mission to create a place where the consult rooms are spacious and comforting and where every PICU patient has his/her own room with a place for a parent to rest.
Sadie's Room
After seeing a giant hole in the ground in early 2007, it was so exciting to finally see the plaque with Sadie’s name on it on the PICU floor in the new hospital. No one is sitting on the floor in here! Patients will officially move in on May 1st and we should have some artwork in there soon. The consult room actually has two doors: one that leads from the main hallway and one from the Family Lounge. The lounge is a beautiful space with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a view of the Inner Harbor. We are so excited for the patients and familes who will use this space and how it will change their experiences for better. Check out our FaceBookpage for all the pictures from the dedication ceremonies.
Now we shift back to 2012 and our task actually effects what happens IN that new room. During “Boot Camp” PICU fellows will actually physically train to become better doctors using simulation technology and how to have difficult and end of life discussions with families. Adding to Sadie’s Endowment ensures that the Boot Camp continues each year and in turn, more families have the best experience possible during the worst of times.
If you are interested in being a part of the mission of Sadie’s Gift, please use the Contact Us page above.
-Amy