Letter to the editor

Thanks to those who helped evacuate children to hospital

Dear editor:

I am so proud of the entire staff of Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, who all provided extraordinary effort over the past 24 hours to carry out to perfection the largest single pediatric medical transport in history, and to provide care for the 24 patients evacuated from Children's Hospital of New Orleans. I wish our entire community could have watched in awe as I did in the wee hours of the morning as ambulances from Children's Mercy, MAST, Liberty, Claycomo and perhaps others lovingly delivered these children from the downtown airport to our hospital. There were indeed tears mixed with the smiles of the children and their parents as they immediately felt like they were at home here.

I invite everyone's prayers for the children who arrived here unaccompanied, the whereabouts of their families unknown. Our psychosocial support teams and all of our staff will wrap their arms around these children, but we also will need to be prepared to address their longer-term challenges.

I know there is a tremendous amount of stress being faced by those whom I communicated with at the children's hospital in New Orleans over the past two days. I know how eagerly they grasped at us being a lifeline to them. Our prayers should be with all of their hospital staff as well for their heroic efforts and the challenges they will continue to face (many have lost their homes), as their hospital officially closed Sept. 1.

I am so grateful for the outstanding support provided by our elected officials such as Senator Kit Bond, who took immediate action and removed all barriers for us, and Governor Matt Blunt, whose support of the Missouri Air National Guard (who are absolutely fantastic!) helping with this transport was instantaneous.

Representatives Emanuel Cleaver and Dennis Moore have offered their support without question.

And I'm so proud of our entire community, which has responded overwhelmingly with offers of lodging, financial support and other help for these families. I know that this is the most caring community on earth.

--Randall L. O'Donnell, Ph.D., president/CEO, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics