| Page 2 of 2 < |
Trauma Staff Offers Lifeline for Families
Children's Hospital Campaign
The Washington Post is raising money for the Children's National Medical Center. You may make a tax-deductible contribution online anytime between Nov. 17 and Jan. 9. TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Nurse practitioner Elaine Lamb takes over after a child leaves the emergency room for a hospital bed.
Both women remember a young boy from the West Coast who was visiting the District when he crashed his bike. Serious injuries kept him at Children's Hospital for weeks.
"He had a spinal cord injury; his mouth was wired shut; he had a head injury; and his mom was spending every night at his bedside on a pullout couch with her 9-month-old," said Lamb, who coordinated doctors and therapists and arranged for a West Coast rehabilitation center to admit the boy after he was well enough to travel.
When insurance wouldn't cover the 3,000-mile trip home, Lamb appealed to the hospital's volunteer office, which came up with the money for the boy and his mom to fly first-class so that the boy could recline.
It's all part of the job for today's trauma coordinators at Children's Hospital, as it was more than a dozen years ago when Lindsey Gordon fought for her life there. And it is all part of the family-centered, first-class care provided to area children, regardless of a family's ability to pay.
How to Help
Today we wrap up The Washington Post's campaign to raise money to help cover those unmet costs of treating youngsters at Children's Hospital. Last year, that cost was about $50 million. The $500,000 we've tried to raise here would meet only a tiny fraction of that, but every dollar helps. As of today, readers have sent a total of $299,231.69.
Within the next couple of weeks, we'll provide you with a final tally. Plus we'll list all the groups of friends, neighbors and colleagues who gave collective gifts.
There is still time to contribute, so if you haven't already, please write a check or money order payable to Children's Hospital and send it to Washington Post Campaign: P.O. Box 17390, Baltimore, Md. 21297-1390. Better yet, get together friends or colleagues and send a bigger check.
To donate online, using a credit card go to http:/
To contribute by phone using Visa or MasterCard, call 202-334-5100 and follow the instructions. Gifts are tax deductible, as allowed by law.
Thank you!
Washington Post staffer Terrence McArdle and special correspondent Gerri Marmer contributed to this report.
