Things we often take for granted, even in the hospital...clean onesies and underwear...

During Rowan's most recent hospital stay, where he was hospitalized for two weeks after his intestinal revision surgery, we were grateful to be able to discover some new ways that we can help other patients and their parents. 

 Some of the nurses and staff brought it to our attention that they often have babies who stay alone for quite extended lengths of time, for instance their heart babies.  Sometimes the parents both have to return to work because they have been out of work too long.  There are also cases, where there just aren't parents involved.  Babies in these situations don't have family members who stay at the hospital with them day in and day out, like I do with Rowan.  They aren't that fortunate.  Sometimes, we learned, that even days or weeks can go by before someone comes to visit.  Besides breaking my heart for obvious love and attachment purposes, there is something I wouldn't have thought about, some basic needs that they are often in need of...something we probably take for granted...clean clothes and underwear.  

Rowan's foundation has donated underwear in the past, for the emergency room, in various sizes, for both boys and girls.  The hospital has diapers and pull-ups, but not new underwear for a sick child who has an accident.  And if the parents arrived at the ER with their child, they most likely haven't brought extra underwear with them.  The staff let me know that they were down to one pair of girls size 6 underwear from the last time I donated them.  I immediately told them that I would restock them in girls and boys underwear, and then they explained another need...onesies.  

See, when I am at the hospital with Rowan, I can change his socks, underwear, blankets, etc.  And Brian can take home our dirty laundry, or if we are in hem/onc we have access to a washer and dryer.  But a small baby, whom hospital gowns don't really fit well, they need onesies.  For the parents who can be there with their child, they can change them when get soiled.  But what about Child Protective Service Cases, or two working parents, or single moms who have to work.  These babies need clean clothes too.  I learned that some of the staff had been going out on there own and purchasing onesies for these long-term babies so they would have clean clothes.  I knew this was an area we wanted to help right away.  So, while I was there in the hospital with Rowan for those two weeks, I got online and ordered an assortment of these items.  Our foundation was able to purchase over 50 pairs of girls underwear (from size 2T to size 18), over 50 pairs of boys underwear (from size 2T to XL), and over 50 onesies in both boys, girls, and gender neutral colors (from size newborn to size 24 months).

 Ian and I delivered those items, along with some more toiletry kits for parent's last week after we got out of the hospital, and the staff was so grateful.

  

Our foundation will try to stay on top of this at our local hospital, but if you have a group that looks for ways to help in your own community, I urge you to consider donating items like this... new packages of underwear, and new onesies, or even soft baby blankets, for young children who are often on their own in the hospital.  It seems like a given, but as I recently learned, it isn't always.

While we were there in the hospital, we also were able to view first hand, what Rowan Jameson Windham Foundation donations are already doing for children in the hospital.  Rowan wasn't very mobile for the first few days after his surgery, because he was in too much pain.  But boy did he perk up when the art therapy cart rolled up to his door a few days later!

 

He made a really cool painting...

...and then pressed it onto other paper to make a cool series of artwork.

Then he ended up signing them.

And some of his special visitors got to take them home:)

So, the Tracy's Kids Art Therapy Cart

donated by the Rowan Jameson Windham Foundation,

is definitely fulfilling it's main objective of bringing joy to children who are not well enough to leave their hospital rooms.  I know one patient that I witnessed it work for myself:)

"Indoor Summer Fun Donations 2015"

Being stuck in the hospital is never where you want to be, but it's especially difficult in the Summer when you know other kids are outside swimming, biking, chalking up the sidewalks, etc.  The past couple of years, the Rowan Jameson Windham Foundation has made this one of our gifting programs: "Indoor Summer Fun" at Methodist Children's Hospital.  We buy Summer and outdoor themed books, art projects, legos, playdoh, activities, games, etc.  Our hope is that the nurses and Child Life Staff can bring some of the outdoors inside for the patients, and take their mind off of where they are for even a little bit.  Here are some of the gifts we were able to purchase this month for the hospital to distribute this Summer.

Can't leave out the babies so we purchased water mats and bugs, butterfly and caterpillar rattles.

Spot it games: in Splash, Adventure, Frozen "In Summer", Fish and Camping themes...

Summer reading books...

Summer themed activity books...

Pretend camping, bubble machines, and ring toss games...

We even found some Olaf "In Summer" play sets and toys:)

We had also heard from Child Life that they could use more Spin Art Machines.  These are very popular in the Art Rooms.  Rowan knows first hand, as he has waited patiently for his turn on the one Spin Art machine they had before.  So, we purchased them 2 more along with 2 refill kits with more paint and paper squares.

Rowan's friend Marty Tayloe brought along a whole goodie bag full of fun activities for the hospital treasure boxes too.

For the patients who will have to celebrate the 4th of July from their hospital beds, we purchased patriotic window clings, red/white and blue glow sticks and boom sticks, pinwheels, beach balls and glasses.

Parents on the hematology/oncology/transplant floor, who stay here weeks or even months at a time, need to do their child's laundry frequently, so we purchased another case of fabric softener sheets and laundry detergent, enough for 100+ loads!

 

The next item isn't a need, but it sure is a nice little touch that we like to provide for those parents occasionally...flavored coffee creamers for their coffee:)

Finally, we brought a few more fluffy pillows and nice pillow cases and "newly diagnosed patient, parent kits" filled with all the overnight toiletry items you might need, as well as reusable water bottles and laundry bags.  Just this week, while we were hospitalized with Rowan, a staff member from up in that unit brought us a thank you card, signed by the nurses and staff, telling us how helpful these kits have been.  As they mentioned, some of these patients and their patients get admitted suddenly and emergently, and are not prepared for long stays away from home.  They said that one patient was just displaced from the floods last week, so this kit was extremely invaluable to them.  That kind of feed back just warms my heart!

 This past Tuesday, on our way to Rowan's infusion clinic appointment, we loaded the back of our minivan with all of the goodies.

 

Then, while Rowan was getting his IVIG infusions at clinic, I took the gifts over to the hospital.

Child Life Staff and one of the Blue Bird Volunteers met us with carts to distribute the goods, and they were so grateful to be receiving another donation from us.

Upstairs in Hem/Onc/Transplant, they immediately started stocking the laundry and coffee supplies, and said it was always so appreciated by the parents last time.

 

We know we can't really do anything to help the patients get out of the hospital, but it is our sincere hope that we can help them, and their parents, make the best of their time in the hospital this Summer.

Positive feedback and appreciation...always so nice to receive it!

While we were at infusion clinic this week, the hospital art therapist shared these photos with us, and sent me this email. So rewarding to know the art therapy cart is being used and appreciated by patients in the hospital already.  And it looks gorgeous all loaded up with art supplies!

We also received this letter from Seattle Children's Hospital this week, thanking us for our recent donations to them while Rowan and I were in Seattle.  It really warms my heart to know that these donations are being utilized by patients in multiple states now.  

Looking forward to future donations, so can continue our mission, by helping even more patients and their parents, while they spend time in the hospital, away from their families.

The First Ever, "Art Therapy Cart" donated by the Rowan Jameson Windham Foundation

As I have mentioned before, one of Rowan's favorite things to do during his hospital stays, is art.  Whether it is painting, building, drawing, or making crafts, it brings him normalcy and so much joy.  This is why we donate more art supplies and art kits than anything else to patients at the hospital, and why we have our "Arts for Easter" giving program.  Many of Rowan's best friends from the hospital are the ones he has met in the play room, while doing art projects.  So, we definitely have seen the benefits of art in the hospital.

Methodist Children's Hospital recently added an art therapist to their staff again. She is a part of another non-profit called "Tracy's Kids", whose mission is to provide young cancer patients and their families cope with the emotional stress and trauma of cancer and its treatments.  In speaking with the new art therapist recently, about ways we could help her program, and discussing what her current needs are...the main thing we discussed was how easy it is for her to set up art therapy projects in the play room for kids who are mobile and well enough to leave their room, but unfortunately, for the ones whose counts aren't high enough, who aren't permitted to or don't feel well enough to leave their room, it becomes more difficult to serve those patients.  So, I worked with Courtney, the art therapist, at clinic during one of Rowan's recent long infusion days, and came up with a solution...the first ever "Tracy's Kids Art Therapy Cart donated by The Rowan Jameson Windham Foundation".

I was so excited, that I emailed the foundation board members right away, purchased the cart and supplies, and had it all at my house ready to put together and deliver in less than a week!  That is how excited Rowan and I, and the board members of our foundation were about this project.  Then came the fun part...

Last Saturday, Ian and Rowan put the industrial cart together for me...

Then we added storage tubs for all of the art supplies...

And hooks and pouches to carry smaller arts and crafts supplies...

And finally, the finishing touch, the signage...

(yes, this logo is Rowan as an infant:)

Rowan was so excited to deliver the art therapy cart this past week, when he went to clinic for his weekly lab work.  He typically is too tired to even walk into clinic on his own.  We almost always have to push him in his medical stroller.  But not that day!  He couldn't contain his excitement, so he pushed the cart from the car, through the parking garage, down the sky walk, up to the 5th floor, and into clinic...all by himself:)

 

The art therapist, and the clinic and hospital staff were equally as excited to receive the donation.  The general consensus was, "Oh Rowan, the kids are gonna get such good use out of that!".  We all can't wait to see Courtney pushing the cart all around the hospital, in and out of patient rooms, bringing art projects to them, but more importantly, bringing joy to them.

 


Rowan was thrilled to be delivering this donation.

And this was such an amazing collaboration, that we can't wait to help Courtney, Tracy's Kids, and the Art Therapy Program at Methodist Children's Hospital even more in the future.

The hugs from the staff, spoke volumes as to the good that Rowan's foundation is doing.

And I cannot wait to post future pictures of the room-bound hospital patients utilizing the Art Therapy Cart!