My 8-year-old son C had been suffering from abdominal pain for several days. We had been seen by his pediatrician and had been to the ER twice before he was finally admitted into the hospital for mesenteric adenitis and to be evaluated for appendicitis. He gets quite nervous about being in a doctor's office and the thought of a needle immediately brings him to tears. After having x-rays, ultrasounds, several other procedures, and finally the dreaded Charlie, C was distraught when he was brought to his room in the Children's hospital. We arrived shortly before shift change and had the opportunity to get acquainted with our surroundings and get C settled before having the pleasure of meeting Kylie Virgin who would be our nurse for the evening. She reassured C and helped him understand that even though he had an IV, he could wheel the IV pole around so he was still mobile. My son then kept complaining that he was hungry and she consulted with the doctors who allowed him to have ice chips to satisfy that need. Then when she found out C was admitted on his birthday, she worked with the surgeons to surprise him with a cup of ice cream and then restart the NPO afterward. Kylie and a group of nurses walked into his room singing "Happy Birthday" with the cup of chocolate ice cream while holding a pretend candle above it and C sprang up from the bed in excitement. She handed him the cup and a spoon and he exclaimed: "I may be in the in the hospital but this has been one of the best birthdays!" Normally C is a very active, chatty, and outgoing child but this illness had made him very lethargic and relatively unresponsive. To see her bring that type of excitement from him feeling as bad as he did brought me to tears. I can't thank her enough for calming his fears and comforting him. The first few hours he cried nonstop, begging to go home. After spending time with Kylie, listening to her explanations, allowing her to console him, he was reassured and more comfortable with being in the hospital. In fact, when they offered to let him go home the next evening his response was "No thanks, I'm fine here."
Kylie Virgin made a HUGE difference in my son's life by making his hospital stay a positive experience. It has been almost a week and he is still telling people how great his hospital birthday was, how his nurse brought him ice cream while singing Happy Birthday and his pretend candle (syringe with a paper candle drawn and taped to it) is still laying on the nightstand beside his bed. Thank you Kylie for all that you do!