Guest Blogger, Jaynie R Wood, Author of “Going to The Hospital. What Will I See?”
This is a book to familiarize children and their families with the initial procedures when hospitalization becomes necessary. Hospital personnel is introduced and their tasks are described. Procedures and the reasons for those procedures are discussed. The patient learns what he can do to help the doctors and nurses. The people wearing funny clothes are highly skilled in helping your child feel better, and the child-friendly illustrations serve to aid in understanding the process. And as you will see, there are also reasons for big smiles during your stay in the hospital. It is well-documented that when patients are partners in their treatment, anxiety is lessened and recuperation time is often more rapid.
About the Author:
The concept for much of my life started when I was four and I was poked 23 times for an IV start. That moment changed my perspective forever. That was my first open-heart surgery.
Years later I was around 13, having another surgery in the intensive care unit. Another young patient saw that I was in tears and came over to me. She told me a story of a prince on a hill and in the end, everything turned out just fine.
I still have the picture and I remember her name was Wanda. Wanda had cancer, And I learned soon after I left the hospital that Wanda did not survive. Fast forward a few years later and I was back in the hospital again for another heart surgery, and I coded. I remember waking up and seeing an angel up in the window behind me. I wasn’t scared, I just felt very comforted with the fact that they were there and watching out for me.
Later in my life, I started a child life program at a hospital in Santa Barbara, California. No one told me how difficult it was to start a program from scratch. I just put one foot in front of the other, wrote a grant, and started the program.
Helping children through their hospital experience has been my mission.
When I wrote the book I was both a Certified Child Life Specialist and a Pet Therapy Handler. The illustrator asked what character I wanted to be in the book because I couldn’t be both. I chose to be the character of the Certified Child Life Specialist. However, the pet therapy dog in the book needed to look exactly like my dog, a big giant lovable Leonberger.
And so, the book was born. It was a labor of love for myself, the editor, and the illustrator. My wish is that it could find the way into the hearts of those who need it most.
We will be giving away a copy of “Going to the Hospital. What Will I See?” to one lucky winner.
Choose one or more ways to enter:
- Sign up for email notifications at ChildLifeMommy.com and leave a comment below.
- Facebook: Follow Child Life Mommy and tag two friends.
- Instagram: Follow @ChildLifeMommy and tag two friends in the post.
- Twitter: Follow, Like, and RT the post to @ChildLifeMommy
Good luck, the winner will be chosen by 4/26/21. Open to U.S. residents.
