Helping kids keep pace
When children are hospitalized, whether it's for two days or two months, their normal routine is disrupted in virtually every way. Their days are filled with visits from doctors and nurses, tests and other medical procedures. And, no matter how many amenities a hospital may have, it still isn't home.
One of the most fundamental parts of a child's life is school. Thanks to the year-round school services program at Children's Memorial, young patients can not only keep pace with their classmates, they can also regain a sense of the continuity in their lives.
“It's a truism among teachers that kids find comfort in routine,” says Pat Ebervein, the hospital's school services coordinator and a former Chicago public school teacher. “But in a hospital environment there are so many things that are out of their control. So school is something they can hang onto, because it's something that is normal in their lives.”
Chiaira, 11, is one of the many kids who benefited from the program, which is supported, in part, by the Maurice R. and Meta G. Gross Foundation, Richard A. Perritt Charitable Foundation and K.I.D.S.S. for Kids, Inc. Diagnosed in June 2004 with osteosarcoma – a type of bone cancer – Chiaira spent up to two weeks at a time in the hospital for chemotherapy treatments. Her mother, Coriette, says her daughter enjoyed the bedside lessons she received from Ebervein and the program's volunteers.
“I think the school services program is great,” says her mom. “Even though it wasn't the same as going to school, it gave Chiaira an edge so she wouldn't fall too far behind the kids in her class.”