Happy Thanksgiving - from Miss Plano, Adrianna Nelson

Happy Thanksgiving

As we enter the Holiday season, I thought it would be a great time to remind everybody to remember to count your blessings. Today, I got to spend two hours visiting Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH). TCH is the only Children’s Miracle Network hospital in the greater Houston area, covering 19 counties. I learned today that 100% of the money raised in the Houston area goes directly to TCH and that money will support their Charity Care program for patients. TCH is located in the Houston medical center and is known for its expertise and developments in the treatment of cancer, premature infants, cardiology, diabetes, asthma, HIV/AIDS and attention-related disorders. The website for TCH is http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org./

I thought it might be fun to join their Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) family and lend a hand wherever I could. So I set up a meeting with the Director of the CMN and she agreed to give me a tour of TCH and introduce me to some of her staff. We began the day by touring the floor where they keep babies ranging from various stages of being premature. Each of the babies was really tiny but still adorable. As I walked through the area, I got a chance to talk to some of the parents and they all were really thankful that their baby was alive and in the hands of such great doctors. After we finished there, I got to see the “No Pain” floor. On this floor all the long-term patients at the hospital were really thankful. On this floor, no doctors or nurses are allowed, which means no one can give you a shot! On this floor all the colors were very bright and exciting. There was a library and classroom for studying, but there were also lots of playrooms so that kids could relax and just be kids even though they were in the hospital. It was so awesome to see the kids just kicking back and relaxing even though some of them were attached to the medicine poles. I hung out with them for a little while getting to meet them and sign autographs. When I left the floor, I remembered why I started volunteering in the first place. It’s the warm feeling that you get when you see the smile on someone else’s face. We finished our tour by visiting one of the long term patient floors where I got to spend some time individually with some of the patients and their families. I got to talk to kids ranging from 2 to 16, all who were in various stages of treatments or recovery. I did get to see one little girl who was packing to go home. The smile on her face was a mile wide. As I increase my involvement with both Texas Children’s and the Children’s Miracle Network, I will remember to be Thankful for the things I do have and I hope to make a difference in the lives of all the children I get to meet.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day