Child Life Specialists: They Know What Kids Like
The Division of Child Life, the nation's second-oldest such department, observes its 75th anniversary this year. Young and Healthy honors this celebration and the division's integral role for families at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
At age 12, Kristin Turck needed spinal cord untethering surgery and spine fusion surgery that would require a long rehabilitation. She spent nearly six months at Cincinnati Children's. Kristin says of her child life specialists, "Without them, I would have been miserable."
Child life specialists help kids cope with their fears and the feeling of helplessness that come with being in a hospital. Says Sharon McLeod, director of the division, "We help children learn in their own terms what's going to happen before it happens so they can cope with the stressors of the health careexperience."
Kristin spent many hours with these specialists during her stay at the hospital. "They could relate to me, and they know what kids like," she says. "They have the right personality to do the job."
An avid Cincinnati Bengals fan, Kristin bonded with an unlikely pair: two child life specialists who are diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Kristin's mom, Angie Riddle, recalls, "They got to know her really well and got to know what she liked."
It's All About the Kids
Angie felt it was critical that the specialists concentrated on Kristin, not on her medical condition. "They made sure there was fun in her rehab. They took the focus off of why she was there and let her have some special experiences," she says. That interaction also aids parents, Angie emphasizes, pointing out that parents relax when they see their child at ease.
Kristin suggests to other kids who may face a stay at the hospital: "Tell them what you want because they'll be more than happy to do it."
Angie now works as a nurse at Cincinnati Children's, largely because of these experiences with the child life specialists. "They make such a difference," she says. "They treat every child like they're the most important one there."
