From Cubicle Walls to Hospital Halls

Liz, a member of the CMN Hospitals accounting department, stopped for a hospital tour while vacationing in Nashville, Tenn. Here she shares her experience at our Network’s Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University.

Accounting—the land of numbers, budgets and figures. Working in this department of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is amazing, but from time to time, it is easy to caught up in Excel spreadsheets and lose focus of why we do what we do—it’s for the kids! These kids inspire us with their unique stories of being strong, courageous and beating impossible odds. They are my heroes!

While staying in Nashville, Tenn., my husband and I got to visit the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Through my job, I have been able to interact with Karen, the amazing CMN Hospitals program director at Vanderbilt (and who I consider a good friend). She offered to take us on a hospital tour and I  jumped at the opportunity.

The first thing I noticed on arrival was the array of balloons with some of our corporate partners listed: Rite Aid, RE/MAX, Foresters and several local credit unions. All of these partners do amazing things for our local hospitals!

While walking through the halls of the hospital, I also couldn’t help but notice the welcoming environment. From the colors to the artwork (some drawn by patients), to the sibling room (where siblings of patients can play while their parents talk to doctors), to the underwater theme of the first floor, it was easy to see this was created with the children and their families in mind. The smiling faces of the employees helped too. :)

In true Nashville fashion, a stage is set on the first floor where Radiothons and performances are held.  Encompassing the stage are butterflies that represent donor names with the room that their funds helped support.

Karen told us a story about a man named Quentin, a 21-year-old heart patient who has been in and out of the hospital his entire life. Quentin had proposed to his girlfriend and a week before their wedding day, Quentin’s body was rejecting the heart transplant he had received 6 years prior. But this did not stop them. Quentin’s family and friends, along with the caring staff at Vanderbilt, held the wedding in the hospital chapel! Although a wheelchair was available for Quentin during the ceremony, he was able to stand the whole time.  

After an informative and insightful tour, our time at Vanderbilt came to a close. I am forever touched by the stories I heard, the people I met and the great work that is being done at this hospital. Thank you to all the staff and patients, and thank you to Karen for taking time out of your busy day to share why you do what you do—it’s for the kids!

 

 

 

 

 

#MiracleMoms

Guest blog from Stephanie, creator of How to Survive Life in the Suburbs.

It is my greatest pleasure to introduce #MiracleMoms! Children’s Miracle Network and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals have teamed up with a group of excited and motivated bloggers from across Canada and the United States to create an incredibly unique program. We call it #MiracleMoms.  

We are 10 bloggers telling 10 unique stories of struggle, hope and joy. Sharing intimate moments with moms who have experienced first hand the value of a children’s hospital in their local community.

These stories are intended to touch your heart in a way that showcases the critical need to raise awareness and funds for research, life-saving equipment and specialized programs to ensure our most vulnerable children receive excellence in care. #MiracleMoms is a group of loving, passionate, and motivated women eager to tell the stories of families who use, or have used, the services of Children’s Miracle Network member hospitals across North America.

The objectives of this program are really quite simple:  

1) To create awareness for Children’s Miracle Network and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

2) To create a forum to tell the remarkable stories of 10 very special families with respect, care and passion. 

3) To encourage our readers to join our teams and donate to their local children’s hospital.  Our hope is to harness the power of social media, to create a deeper understanding  and broader audience of support for children’s hospitals across North America, and in doing so raise funds for this very worthy cause.  

Please follow this exciting new program on Twitter, hashtag #MiracleMoms or visit our #MiracleMoms blogs below to read first hand the stories of real moms, real miracles and really cool kids!

My Organized Chaos
How To Survive Life In The Suburbs
Bored Mommy
Things I Can't Say
Tammy's Two Cents
Nugglemama's Handful
Loulou's Views
Listen To Lena
Busy Mommy
CMNH Radio

Photo Friday: Part 3

Saving and improving kids' lives is what we do at Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Here are 5 more reasons we are motivated each day to raise funds for children's hospitals across North America.