WHAT OF CARE HERE?
Recently a local radio station sponsored the St Jude's Hospital radiothon, a two day program to raise funds for the medical center in Memphis, Tenn., devoted to working with children afflicted with catastrophic illnesses.
During last year's radiothon our youngest daughter, Rachel, asked us why a Topeka radio station would sponsor a fund drive for a hospital so far away when there are other hospitals in our area that also serve special children's needs. I wrote the station and they responded that the money received by St. Jude's benefits children everywhere in researching cures for pediatric cancer and other diseases.
This is true. There is a great deal of information sharing among medical researchers around the world and St Jude's is part of that network of cooperation. And a contribution to St. Jude's can be of help in furthering research in pediatric medicine for children everywhere. In this respect I salute all who would donate to such a worthy cause.
But I think that northeast Kansans should also remember the other research medical centers in our region that also do extensive work in pediatric medicine: KU-Med Center and Children's Mercy Hospital, both in the Kansas City metro area.
The research done to cure pediatric diseases is all important at the above medical facilities, but there is a lot more to a children's hospital than just the work done by doctors and other medical staff.
Rachel was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia in August, 1999. Our local physician sent us to Children's Mercy Hospital where for nine months we were part of an amazing effort to treat and cure our daughter. Besides the medical staff there were psychologists who worked with both the children and their families, social workers who labored to find funds for families strapped for cash, and chaplains who ministered to the spiritual needs of patients and were there at the end for the dying and their loved ones. A music therapist came through the oncology ward twice a week to uplift spirits. Each weekday recreation staff came through with art projects and a computer was available for games and contacting other children at children's hospitals around the country. Many of these programs were made available through the donations of generous people like you and me.
We witnessed the use of Cat-scans, bone marrow harvesting equipment, and many other expensive state-of-the-art medical wonders that help save the lives of countless children in Kansas and Missouri. We met with specialists in many different fields of medicine, each of whom took a special interest in our child and her treatment. Once again many of these services were provided at least in part by local donations.
I am all for donating money for research at St. Jude's Hospital. But I would also like to point out that there are other nearby childrens' hospitals in need of gifts for the services they provide to ill children and their families as well. These are the hospitals where your neighbors, your co-workers, or your friends may have to rush their children some day. We will never forget the wonderful people at Children's Mercy who did everything they could to save our child. Our hope is that others will also remember area hospitals as well when they give toward pediatric medical services in our region.
-- BILL SOWERS, Topeka.