The First Chronically Sick Child - 875 Words

Joey was the first chronically sick child that I have ever worked with. He is two years old and since he was born he has spent the majority of his life in and out of a hospital. His mother and father, parents of three other children, have moved homes to be closer to medical help in the case of an emergency. They had to make sure that their health insurance would cover the ambulance’s driving distance from their house to a hospital. They had to make sure they lived near a police station in the case of a power outage, which would prohibit Joey’s life sustaining medical equipment to work. Joey has tracheal stenosis, diagnosed at 3 weeks of life. A tracheostomy was placed at diagnosis and now 2 years later he still lives with it. He recently had laryngeal surgery but still no one knows when the day will be that he will live without a tracheostomy. Because Joey has been in and out of a hospital, at 2 years old he has already developed C. difficile and laryngitis. Joeyâ€℠¢s mother’s pregnancy was healthy and full term. The parents had no forewarning of the medical battles they would face. I had the privilege of learning about Joey through the eyes of his father, at his bedside for my entire shift on that Monday morning. A lot of things were racing through my heart when I first walked in to introduce myself. What does a chronically sick child look like? Would I know what to say when my patient can’t communicate back to me? Would I know what to do with a tracheostomy, vital forShow MoreRelatedSupplemental Childcare Program Essay examples1227 Words   |  5 Pagesover the past 30 years. In 1993, 9.9 million children under age 5, needed care while their mothers worked (Bureau of the Census, 1995). More than two-thirds of all infants receive nonparental child care during their first year of life, with most enrolled for about 30 hours each week (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1995). 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They were the majorRead MoreSolutions For Families : Distressed Situations1551 Words   |  7 Pagescaring for a child with health problems profoundly affects the physical health, mental health and work attendance of parents. â€Å"5 out of 100 American children are hospitalized for a major acute or chronic illness, injury, or disability† (Medical Traumatic Stress, n.p.). â€Å"20 million children in the US each year suffer unintentional injuries† (Medical Traumatic Stress, n.p.). â€Å"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 percent of U.S. families have a chronically ill child† (New evidenceRead MoreEssay - Circus cat, alley cat828 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Circus cat, alley cat† is written by Anita Desai and is on three pages. The short story is about Anna, a circus performer who becomes a nanny for an English family. Anna is performing with tigers and lions in an exciting show. The narrator is a child and has a wild imagination. When Anna is babysitting the children, the narrator often imagines that Anna cracks her whip, and controls the cats. One day Anna’s baby is taken away from her, and she leaves to get it back. In the end, the narrator isRead MorePositive Psychology And Chronic Illness2102 Words   |  9 Pagessocial well-being in addition to her physical condition. Shawn Achor, a Harvard researcher and author of The Happiness Advantage, has developed some tips and exercises for people interested in integrating positive psychology into their lives. The first is the â€Å"Three Gratitudes† approach. This approach suggests that every day for three weeks, the person writes down three things he or she is grateful for. This exercise, according to Achor, revamps the brain for optimism. The second is called â€Å"The DoublerRead MoreThe Impact of Housing Benefits on Pregnant Teenagers1403 Words   |  6 Pagesaims to manage government expenditure and efficient welfare provision with respect to credible claimants. The UK Benefit System is concentrated towards a number of deserving groups such as the unemployed, senior citizenry, disabled individuals, chronically sick individuals or bereaved claimants. (Emmerson Leicester, 2002) The basic aim of this endeavor is to make lives of British citizens contented enough to ensure a valid level of natio nal contribution and of course give back to the needy. Not onlyRead MorePet Therapy1427 Words   |  6 Pagesaround the country as a great way to help children cope with the stress and anxiety associated with hospitalization. Pet Therapy is a general term that encompasses many therapeutic activities involving animals as companions or occasional visitors to the sick, elderly, or mentally ill. (DeltaSociety) Pet therapy is now being used to help with a wide range of medical and emotional ailments. Sometimes just one treatment can and does work in alleviating many symptoms. Pet therapy also promotes