Please Read What the Doctor said, and More ...

February is off to an active start, especially for lodging assistance for indigent patients staying for up to 30 days at UVA Auxiliary Hospitality House (HH).  Chemotherapy treatment can take many days, and although an exceptional room rate is allowed for these distance patients, their personal funds simply can't sustain them. Also, you will be pleased to know that our every other week food delivery to HH is so appreciated. I know it is, since Mary Jackson, Manager, tells us weekly. Response from Dr. Douglas Willson, UVA Children's Hospital Following the last e-mail and blog entry regarding the support of children in the UVA Hospital, Teresa Bevins,  Clinical social worker in PICU and 7 Central at the UVA Hospital (and the Social Work  coordinator with IHS  for our patient and caregiver programs), received the following letter.  It is a delight to share it with you. From Douglas F. Willson, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Anesthesiology            UVA Children's Hospital, Division of Pediatric Critical Care            UVA Health Services System, Charlottesville, Virginia Re: Car seats for children Dear Teresa, I couldn't be more supportive of your project to get car seats for children. I've been practicing Pediatric Critical Care now for 30 years and over that time I have seen a steady decrease in the numbers and severity of infants injured in motor vehicle accidents. While some of this comes undoubtedly from safer cars, much of it is attributable to effective car seats. Even with safer cars, an infant not secured in an effective car seat becomes a projectile. Because of their relatively heavier heads and lack of muscle strength the most common injuries we see are severe brain trauma and spine injuries. These are tragic. It is the old adage about, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."  I've often thought that for the cost of providing care - often long term care - for one infant injured because he/she was not securely fastened in a car seat we could supply every infant in Charlottesville and surrounding counties with a car seat for the next decade. This, of course, ignores the human tragedy.   I believe that the ability to provide care to injured and other critically ill children is very important to society. However, if the choice were between preventive efforts such as car seats and support for critical care, preventive efforts would be my priority. No child should ever be in a moving automobile without being securely and safely restrained. For infants this means a quality car seat appropriately installed. I would ask that along with providing the car seat the parent(s) be instructed how to install the seat.    My kids are older now (and always wear their seatbelts), but they were ALWAYS in a car seat while in the car when they were little. I remember one time pulling out of the driveway and my daughter had not yet buckled herself in. She became hysterical, crying, "I'm not in my car seat!" That should tell you how much I stressed to my kids that this was important. They got the message. Please let me know if there is anything more I can do to support you in this endeavor. This is a great thing you are trying to do and I commend you for your efforts. Sincerely, Doug Willson, UVA Children's Hospital (ORIGINAL WAS SIGNED) Quick Update on Baby Program As of January 30, 2012, this past Monday, IHS has delivered four (4) new infant car seats. As of February 3, 2012 (Thursday) we purchased four(4) additional seats to be delivered as needed for Teresa Bevins to keep in the Social Work Office for use by all Pediatric Clinics for indigent families in need at the time of their infant's release. A consistent helper, UVA Hospital Loading Dock Manager, Jimmie Glasgow, assists Teresa Bevins, Clincal Social Worker, and monitor for the IHS Food Program and Baby Program with delivery of new infant car seats delivered as needed by Rev. T. Wade Clegg III of IHS. Mr. Glasgow has responded enthusiastically with stacking bi-monthly full-day meal boxes onto dollies for transport to the Social Work Office for the last year, and secured parking when school visits were arranged for children to visit Ms. Bevins for briefings.   Our objective for 2012 is still thirty (30) seats, and of course infant clothing (new or not so new for ages 3 -36 months); therefore, any individual, business, church, school, class or club, etc. can donate $35.00 and  dedicate that donation for the Baby Program.  IHS will purchase a new infant car seat and deliver to the UVA Hospital as the calls dictate the need.  We will always deliver two seats at a time in order to have an extra seat readily available. Remember - for more details on the program, refer to the blog entry of January 20, 2012. If this present article is already on the blog by the time you are reading Dr. Willson's letter, then click on the blog site and scroll on down to that introduction to the IHS Baby Program.  The charity blog site is http://www.interfaithsanctum.blogspot.com.  Sincerely ... T. Wade