As part of the Child Life Program, Destiny’s mom could come into the OR to be with her as she fell asleep.

“You’re a brave girl. You’re doing a super job. I’ll be right here where you wake up. And so will your Daddy. We are so proud of you, Destiny. We love you so much.”

Sherill hugs and holds her precious daughter, smiling and speaking calmly and slowly, as Destiny breathes in the anesthesia for her surgery and falls asleep. You wouldn’t know that Sherill arrived at the hospital this morning anxious and afraid.

Here at Humber River Hospital we have a special program called The Child Life Program which means parents like Sherill are embraced and included in their child’s care.

As Sherill says, “I didn’t even know I could go in with her. I thought more or less I’d watch her go down the hallway. I had no idea I would be able to hug her as she fell asleep. It was so comforting. For both of us.”

The Child Life Program is a world-renowned, start-to-finish program that makes sure parents feel informed and empowered during surgery, and their kids—our amazing patients—feel comfortable and safe.

Alex, our Child Life Specialist, describes the program like this: “We show and tell kids and parents exactly what’s going to happen at every stage. We practice on the kids by using a medical teaching kit. We coach the parents, and then everything we practiced is what we do.”

During Destiny’s surgery, Sherill was able to receive updates throughout the surgery on her phone and on the screen in the waiting room, thanks to our STERIS RealView system—which donors like you helped purchase! Sherill says, “I knew everything as it was happening in real time. I’ve never seen anything like it. You can’t believe how good it feels to be so connected the whole time.”

Your gift today will support The Child Life Program and other inspiring and crucial programs possible. With your gift today, you’ll help:

• invest in the best equipment and technology for our state-of-the-art hospital
• provide critical medical supplies for everyday use, including child-sized anesthesia masks and IV needles
• fund patient care materials like our medical teaching kits, and help provide toys and crafts for our waiting and recovery rooms