On Saturday, April 7, the CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System kicked off Autism Awareness Month by sponsoring Autism Awareness Day: A Sensory Event hosted by the Beaumont Children’s Museum and The Arc of Greater Beaumont. Community members were invited to experience the excitement of the children’s museum while learning about autism.
The first hour of the event was reserved for families with children on the autism spectrum, which allowed them time to get familiar with the museum in a low sensory environment with fewer people around. The museum also provided a Quiet Room that was open all day for children who became overstimulated to have a place to relax.
When the museum opened to the public, children were able to participate in activities such as making fossils, creating custom sensory bottles, and playing with sensory toys and a tactile wall. Families were also given the opportunity to play with service dogs, meet First Responders, and learn what CHRISTUS hospitals do to make ER visits for individuals on the autism spectrum less traumatic.
Ashley Bares, Certified Child Life Specialist at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth, shared how the healthcare professionals at St. Elizabeth strive to make children on the autism spectrum more comfortable during hospital visits.
“When registering at the Emergency Room, parents of children on the autism spectrum can ask for an ASAP (Autism Spectrum Awareness Plan) or SNAP (Special Needs Awareness Plan) form,” explains Bares. “These forms help us better understand the challenges some patients face when they come to the Emergency Room so that we can do our best to make them comfortable. We can offer sunglasses for light sensitivity, fidget toys to keep their hands busy, and a weighted lap pad for those who find comfort in deep touch pressure.”
CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth is proud to provide awareness and support for our autism community and we hope to make hospital visits comfortable and stress-free for everyone who comes through our doors.
On Thursday, March 29, board members from Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas, Laura Childress and Lisa New, presented Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals in Southeast Texas with a check for $2,270.
On Monday, March 26, the beginning of Holy Week, a dedication was held for the newly renovated Prayer Room, located on the third floor of the Outpatient Pavilion.
Mary Williams, granddaughter of John Henry “Harry” and Johannah Phelan, spoke of the importance of the Catholic faith to her grandparents, the emphasis placed on faith during her upbringing, and stories of her childhood.
Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who participated! With your help, we raised over $30,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Foundation.
On Valentine’s Day, we had an abundance of valentines to deliver to our pediatric patients. Thanks to our community (and beyond), our youngest patients felt loved as they each received dozens of valentines and well wishes. Your special messages brought smiles to the faces of children who missed class parties and fun with friends because they were in the hospital on Valentine’s Day. Thank you for helping make miracles happen for kids in Southeast Texas!
At CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth, the Emergency Department alone sees 8,500 pediatric patients a year. Currently, the waiting room caters to adults without any toys or entertainment for children. The Emergency Department wants to better serve the pediatric population and their families by offering a form of entertainment in the waiting room that will distract, calm, and educate. Thanks to a grant from Child’s Play, the CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Foundation is now able to provide that entertainment.
Delaney Harmon and Annie Schwendiman are members of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) at Lumberton High School. As part of a school project, they chose to raise money for premature babies at their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth. Throughout December, Harmon and Schwendiman made and sold cookie and bread mixes in mason jars. Each jar included a recipe gift tag and all dry ingredients required. The jars were sold at school and various places in the community, including CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth.
After the sale ended, Harmon and Schwendiman made a trip back to St. Elizabeth Hospital to present their donation to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Ivy Pate, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Foundation President, and Melissa Conley, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Program Manager, were thrilled to accept their donation of $600! The money raised will go toward helping babies in St. Elizabeth’s NICU receive lifesaving medical care.
The CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Foundation is excited to announce that we have provided five Panda Bed Warmers for the Center for New Life at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth, thanks to the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation. These Panda Bed Warmers will help fulfill the ultimate goal of equipping each of the 19 labor and delivery rooms with an infant warmer, as they are required to be in each room for delivery. Until now, the Center for New Life only had four outdated warmers.
The warmers allow for immediate care for sick newborns with integrated resuscitation available and minimal setup for high-risk deliveries. The warmers also offer easy patient monitoring with integrated, full-color displays that help track the infant’s temperature, weight, oxygen levels, and pulse rate. The compact size allows more room for the nurse, the patient, and the family to interact with the infant.
On January 4, Andrea Sterling, a member of Harvest for Lost Souls Church, brought joy to sick and injured kids in Southeast Texas by delivering over 400 plush toys for the kids at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth Hospital. The boxes were filled with characters like Olaf from Frozen and Destiny from Finding Dory. During Hurricane Harvey, Somebody Cares America donated an abundance of resources to Harvest for Lost Souls Church, and Andrea made it her mission to make sure these resources continue to help the community. These plush animals are being given to pediatric patients at St. Elizabeth to help them cope with the stress of being in the hospital. “It makes our hearts glad to know so many children will be comforted,” said Sterling.