CMN of Greater Kansas City

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Eric Hamilton
by Yvonne Hamilton, Eric's Mom

“I would recommend Children’s Mercy Hospital.”

I remember the first time I heard those words from a neonatal doctor. I was 7 months pregnant and in the hospital due to unknown chest discomfort. An ultrasound had shown my unborn son had something wrong with his kidneys and that he would probably require surgery soon after birth.

Eric was born at 37 weeks and was transported to Children's Mercy Hospital when he was 3 days old, he had a urinary tract blockage/kidney enlargement, ASD in his heart and down syndrome. I remember riding with my new baby in the ambulance and being scared out of my mind, not to mention exhausted and hormonal from just delivering.

The hospital was amazing, I had never been there before so just the added details of kid friendliness was comforting. The staff on the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) quickly got us settled, explained what was going to happen and answered our questions. A social worker met with us almost immediately and since we are from Topeka, KS got us set up with the Ronald McDonald house. I met so many staff members in the first two days I couldn’t even keep them all straight!

Eric had surgery to correct the urinary tract blockage when he was five days old. Dr. Murphy did the surgery and he is such a nice guy, he took the time to talk to us, explain what was going to happen and came in and sat down and discussed how the surgery went when he was finished. I know that any doctor would give you the run down on what to expect and how things went but with Dr. Murphy I felt that he was being honest and when he said “not to worry” I believed him!  That’s the thing about Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, they see so many children every day, newborns to teenagers, and they are the best at what they do and in turn they treat parents like their child is the most important.

My son, thankfully, was fairly healthy and although we continue to monitor his heart and kidneys with frequent trips to Children's Mercy clinics, I know that they will give him the best care possible. I am so grateful to the hospital, social workers, nurses, and custodians, just everyone who would smile and ask how we were doing. From the programs for my older children to help entertain them while we were in the hospital to the free meal vouchers for breast-feeding moms this hospital has thought of it all! Children’s Mercy isn’t a place you hope you will ever have to take your child to…but I am so grateful it is available for all the children who have come to need it, including my Eric!!!!

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UPDATE: AUGUST 2010

Eric is now 2 1/2 years old. He continues to have follow-ups at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics on a regular basis just as we anticipated. He will have heart surgery to fix his Atrial Septal Defect at around four or five years old.

We have been so pleased with the care he has received and the communication the physicians at Children's Mercy have kept with our local pediatrician and ENT.  Eric continues to grow and change and we are thrilled with the continued care we receive from Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics.