A Befriender story from
pediatrics.
You win some, you lose some,
but at all times you stand your ground. I don’t know where the Child
Development Person is now but the Befrienders are still a part of the Spiritual
Care Ministry at both Genesis and Trinity Hospitals in the Quad Cities. Early
in the Befriender hospital visiting we sent Befrienders to pediatrics where
they read to children. One Befriender, a former teacher, was especially good at picking a book that spoke to the child. On this day she picked Where the Wild
Things Are since the referral from the nurse came with the message, “(the child’s
name) is restless and having difficulty sleeping.”
The child welcomed the
Befriender and the reading. When she finished reading Where the Wild Things Are
the child asked for some paper and a pencil. He began poking holes in the paper
until the paper was full of holes. Then he laid back down in bed and fell
asleep. I heard the story during debriefing Befrienders before they left to go
home at noon.
Unfortunately the Social Work
manager decided a Child Development Person should be on pediatrics instead of
the Befrienders. We were asked to
leave. I did call for a conference to discuss the matter knowing the Social
Worker was a social friend of the administrator. We lost out. Hospital politics
are a reality.
Over the long haul the
Befrienders won out for story listening with patients. We celebrated our 50th
year last year.
I haven’t heard anything abut
Child Development on pediatrics. Then as a retired chaplain I have no great
desire to know other than to find out if Befrienders are back visiting children
in pediatrics.
Sendak has a knack for
communicating with children and the hospital was our proving grounds.
This email resource was from
my brother Ron via the New York Times is timely.
“I've always been a fan of
Sendak, especially Where the Wild Things Are. All our kids read it to
their kids.”
To be continued,
Marlin Whitmer, Ret. Hospital
Chaplain, BCC
Founder of the Befrienders in
1966 at St. Luke’s Hospital, Davenport, Iowa
You persisted, Marlin! Isn't it sad when "professionals" can't abide meddling volunteers who offer effective service for the little, the least, and the lost.
ReplyDeleteI like the word persistence. My brother says I am a bull dog that doesn't let go.
DeleteI am glad to have played a small part in that 50 year legacy!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking part. Clergy participation has been very important in the development of the program.
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