Hospital Team Earns Perfect Score in Mom’s Eyes

Liz, a Child Life Specialist at Memorial Hospital, waits with 10-year-old Kate before surgery for her broken arm.

As the race coordinator for Sunburst Races, Theresa Fry knows that funds raised by Sunburst benefit Memorial Children’s Hospital. But it was only recently that she personally discovered how her work and the support of the community help sustain this specialized care for children in our region. Moved by the treatment her daughter recently received at Memorial, Theresa was inspired to share her story:

“We entered the Memorial Hospital Emergency Department with Kate, our 10-year-old daughter, who had broken her arm badly due to a gymnastics accident. She’s a competitive gymnast, and this happened just two days before her final state meet.

Dr. Donald Zimmer was our first doctor my husband and I talked to, and we can’t say enough about him. He was calm and compassionate — all three of us wanted to make Kate as comfortable as possible. Not to mention the nurses in the ER who were also great on a particularly busy night but who never made us feel like a number.

We soon learned that Kate needed to have surgery that night.

Within an hour of coming into the ER, Liz Eash, a Child Life Specialist, introduced herself and discovered ways to make our daughter more comfortable and less fearful of what she was about to undergo. Liz used pictures to explain to Kate about what she could expect in the operating room. She also brought Legos, books and an iPad to keep her busy. Kate had the iPad in her hand as a distraction as she was wheeled to the OR. Liz stayed with her from start to finish in the recovery room.

Dr. Bryan Boyer was her surgeon and Dr. Ryan Sorrell was her anesthesiologist. They were both awesome and put my husband and I both at ease. We were calm and confident and we knew Kate was in good hands.

After the surgery, the care we received in Memorial Children’s Hospital was phenomenal with great attention to our child’s needs and well-being — from a sand bucket filled with donated goodies to welcome her to a visit from a therapy dog. The nurses on the children’s floor were fabulous as well as Child Life Specialist Tracy Byler!

Kate is now doing great! Her cast was taken off after a week and a half! She will have her plates and screws removed in about six months and Dr. Boyer anticipates her returning to competitive gymnastics!”