Speaker 1:
This year, Women Impacting Care proudly supports a program that embodies the very heart of Shriners Children's, compassion, innovation, and empowerment seen through the eyes of a child. This initiative shines a light on the emotional healing of our young patients, those who face not only physical trauma, but the complex journey of reintegrating into their families, schools, and communities. Each child's journey is navigated by a full circle of support, physically and emotionally, bringing new hope to children throughout the world. At Shriners Children's, healing isn't left to chance or handled in isolation. Our care teams represent every discipline. Together with caregivers and families, they create a powerful multidisciplinary approach. Our focus is not only the child's medical recovery, but also their confidence and comfort in returning to the outside world.
Speaker 2:
Burn surgery, in general, really established the transdisciplinary approach to medicine, so when you see rounds at Shriners Hospital for Children on the burn service, you have representation from every service. So, you have the surgeons, the MDs, the providers, you have the nursing staff, you have physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, psychology. Our ortho colleagues come around, our plastics team comes around with us, respiratory therapists, child life, and the caregivers as well. So, the parents of the families join us on rounds, and that's really a testament to the outcomes that you get here. It's that approach. Everybody's involved. It's not just one person or one group or one specialty. It's everybody working together.
Speaker 3:
Our focus is really to help them with their emotional recovery during their hospital stay until the time that they go home, so there are different areas that we focus on during their course of stay.
Speaker 4:
And when they're closer to being discharged home or going back into the community or school, we focus very heavily on helping prepare the children to feel comfortable going home and returning to school. So, we work on some social skills with the children and the parents or the caretaker so that they can be prepared for those different social situations they may encounter.
Speaker 5:
As the school services coordinator, my job entails making sure that while the children are here, as patients in the hospital, that they're exposed to educational opportunities, and that we look at the child past the care that they're receiving here and into what they will be going home to, and how they will be functioning at home. So, we work to prepare them to re-enter into school so they can be as successful as possible. And then right before they go home, we will complete a school re-entry video where we film the patient and the part of the team that's worked with them, and we provide the opportunity for their classmates and for the teachers to be able to see that child before they walk back into the classroom.
Speaker 6:
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Speaker 1:
This program plants a mindset of strength and self-worth in these children at a young age. Two best friends who face limb loss stood tall, beaming with pride and shirts that read, "Dude, where's my arm?" and "Dude, where's my leg?" Their joy, their humor, it's a reflection of the strength Shriners Children's helps build. It's not just about recovery. It's about transforming trauma into resilience, and challenges into a powerful, confident life. For some former patients, the care they received didn't just help them heal. It gave them the confidence to live boldly.
Speaker 7:
Shriners has really helped me establish this growth mindset at an early age that many of my peers still haven't discovered, and being able to take control of my life with my values and dreams has really helped me pivot to where I want to be in life. And so, because of the way the nurses, the programs, the summer camps, the way they push the patients so much to tell them that you can do it, that you can achieve and persevere, has really shaped my future, that sometimes people kind of find it odd that I am to where I am.
And some people attribute it to them feeling bad for me, so they let me in, but it's quite the opposite. I've earned and merited all of my achievements through grace. I have high academic standings, and now I'm very excited to be in the number one entrepreneurship program in the nation. And so, all of that just came from this mentality of, you can do it, you can figure it out, and not listening to other people's opinions and their limitations.
Speaker 2:
The beauty of Shriners Children's is that we really try to take the perspective through the eyes of the patients that we're working with. This idea that we take an individualistic approach to that patient, their needs based off not just their wound care and their scar, but the emotional aspects of what they're going through, re-entry into their school system, exposure to their friends, getting back to what their new normal is going to be. And through that, we mitigate scar, we reduce pain, and we strive for full function.
Speaker 8:
I think that this program will be able to help kids navigate the outside world. I don't think people really think about how brutal kids could be, because simply of the unknown to kids can come off as them being mean. And I think that with this process and this program, it's going to benefit the child to know how to navigate those situations, and to come out with more of a clear way of explaining to kids, "Hey, this is what happened to me," and then easily friendships can be made, instead of just a wall built up.
Speaker 1:
To support this mission, a collection of specially-designed products are available, including elegant jewelry, unisex socks, and custom neckties. Each piece carries a meaningful message, such as "Be kind" and "Through the eyes of a child." These items aren't just accessories. They're conversation starters. When someone asks you about your pin, bracelet, or tie, it becomes an opportunity to share the purpose behind this program and the transformative impact it has on the lives of children. Every purchase helps extend awareness and raise funds for continued emotional and social healing through Shriners Children's. Let us each be a voice for these children. Let us advocate, educate, and empower. Through your support, Women Impacting Care will help more children return to their lives stronger, more confident, and more seen. Together, let's see the world through the eyes of a child, and help shape a future that's full of possibility.
