Miracle Makers of the Day: Child and Family Services
From adaptive bikes and interactive play to coping techniques and music therapy, the Gillette Children’s Child and Family Services department truly embodies Gillette’s mission to support patients and their families. Child Life Specialists, Recreational Therapists, Social Workers, Music Therapists, Interpreters, Chaplains, and Psychologists come together to assist Gillette families in all aspects of their lives.
Patients and families have openly voiced how thankful they are for these individuals. Not only have they seen the positive impact in how their children were coping with treatment, but also in the way that they, as caregivers, were supported!
This is a rewarding profession for both families and staff. When asked why they do it Kaitlin Lewis, a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (left), and Shannon Wier, a Certified Child Life Specialist (Right), had some pretty moving answers:
“I feel honored to work with the most amazing patients and their families. When I can provide interventions to encourage the patient to reach a goal it is truly amazing to watch their successes. To be a part of the care team is highly rewarding for me.”
–Shannon Wier, CLS (Certified Child Life Specialist)
“What I love about Recreational Therapy is the connection that is so often made when you address what your patient is passionate about in life. With recreational tasks utilized in a treatment session, we often see co-existing joy, peace or excitement which is motivating and refreshing during times of recovery.”
–Kaitlin Lewis, CTRS (Therapeutic Recreation Specialist)
Your donations making a difference
Like Kaitlin said, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare tries its best to discover patient’s passions and help implement them into their care plan. This is true with the ground breaking Virtual Reality Research taking place within the hospital, and being funded through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals donations. Child Life Specialists at Gillette began offering headsets to eager patients during clinical interventions, and say that the positive impact of VR was seen almost immediately. Take a further look into how your donations are making a positive impact for kiddos like Grady below!
To donate and help further fund research programs like these, click here.