Compassionate Care for Jeffrey Close to Home

Jeffrey, 8, loves to play with his toy cars, ride his bike and run. When he stopped eating and wouldn’t get out of bed for days, his mother, Dora, brought him to the Emergency Department at Children’s National Hospital. “My family lives in Washington D.C.,” says Dora. “I was very worried about the health of my son and so grateful to have a hospital like Children’s National close by.”

Things moved fast, even though the emergency room was very busy. “To my surprise, they saw him quickly and took their time,” Dora says. Staff offered the family a Spanish language interpreter. “The doctor made sure we understood what was happening and gave us advice to make sure Jeffrey got better.”

Dora felt relieved. So did Jeffrey. Before going to Children’s National he had struggled to explain how badly he felt. “I was scared because no one listened to me when I said my stomach hurt,” he says. “The back of my eyes hurt and my head hurt. The doctor listened. She said I had a stomach flu. She was helpful and good and made me feel better.”

“Staff at Children’s National take the time to make sure everyone feels at ease,” Dora says, “that means kids and the adults, too.”