Disclaimer: Thank
you to CHOP at Virtua for sponsoring today’s post and helping to keep my child
healthy
Having a baby is one of the happiest and most exciting times
of your life. When your baby is born
prematurely, it can also be one of the scariest. I went into labor with my
youngest son four weeks before his due date.
Though he was perfect in almost every other way, and even weighed in at
over eight and a half pounds, his lungs were still underdeveloped. Just a few
minutes after his birth, he was ripped from my arms and transferred to a
neonatal intensive care unit that was more than four hours away. He was the biggest baby in there, but it was
still terrifying to see him hooked up to all those machines. Today, my son is a
healthy four-year-old, and every time he drives me crazy, I remind myself of
those few weeks where his life was hanging in the balance.
The worst part of this experience was having my son whisked
away before I was released from the hospital. I wasn’t able to be by his side
for almost two days, and every second of that separation was agony. Even after
I was released, it was a four hour drive each way to visit, which isn’t fun
when you’re recovering from childbirth. Luckily, other young mothers in South
Jersey won’t have this experience thanks to The Virtua Hospitals and Wellness
Centers. This organization has partnered with the Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia to bring high quality pediatric care to the residents of South
Jersey and the surrounding areas. Unlike
other healthcare partnerships, CHOP doctors are at Virtua as often as possible.
They take care of patients there at Virtua, right in the family’s community.
CHOP at Virtua offers a variety of services including
emergency care, in-hospital care, intensive care for newborns and kids, sleep
medicine, and imaging/radiology including sedation when needed. CHOP doctors
can also interpret diagnostic tests in cardiology, neurology, and radiology.
Plus, they provide teleneurology support in Virtua’s emergency departments.
Having this type of quality care close to home is definitely
beneficial. Although I don’t plan to have any more children, there are many
other instances where having CHOP at Virtua will save me both time and
aggravation. One of my other children has asthma and I had to drive all the way
to Philadelphia last time she had to see the specialist. I am exciting to have
an option so much closer to home. I love
living at the Jersey shore, but the lack of quality medical care in the area
has always been a big drawback. Now that I have CHOP at Virtua, I can say that
South Jersey has it all.
While we all hope our families never need medical treatment,
if they do, visit CHOP’s Specialty Care Center located at the Virtua Voorhees
Health and Wellness Center. You have enough to worry about when your family is
ill. Don’t add the stress of fighting the traffic in Philadelphia.
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