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This is the face of a healthy and happy five-year-old Antonio McBride.
At one time, Antonio’s mom, Jenee, didn’t know her son
would reach that fifth birthday. When he was born,
physicians knew early on that he would need a new small bowel and liver to survive.
Here in Georgetown University Hospital, we are a national leader for small bowel,
liver and abdominal multiorgan transplants in both children and adults.
After Antonio was placed on the national transplant list,
surgeons at Georgetown successfully transplanted
a new small bowel, liver and pancreas into Antonio’s little body.
Today, he is able to live at home with a regular follow up care
here at the Georgetown University Hospital Transplant Clinic.
Antonio’s future is extremely bright.
Jenee has every reason to believe her son will grow up
living a normal and very healthy life.
The wonderful thing about Georgetown is we have internationally acclaimed
state of the art medical care
in an environment that feels comforting to a family,
that’s not overwhelming, that’s very personal
and that’s why Georgetown is special.
Here at Georgetown we are really on a cutting edge
of pediatric transplant services.
That’s such a complex feel that you need to have dedicated personnel
and all the members of our team had been dedicated fully
to transplantation of organs in children and the care of those children.
So we have a tremendous amount of physician and nursing experience
to make this an outstanding program.
Additionally, our outcomes have been among the best in the country
so we have the highest survival rates for recipients of small bowel
and multiorgan transplants as well as for children receiving liver transplants here.
When Joseph was age four, he had no chance for a future
without a small bowel transplant.
The Pediatric Transplant team at Georgetown made it happen.
Today at age nine, Joseph is not only healthy,
he is thriving and living the life his family always dreamed of for their son.
Joseph and his family made the trip from upstate New York
to receive the care and expertise of the Georgetown Team.
We knew that we were in wonderful hands and you have to believe in that
especially when you’re putting your child’s life in someone else’s hands as we were.
From where we were to where we are is just unbelievable.
Everybody cared about getting him better. Doctors agree.
If you have a question, they’d listen to you.
All of them from the nurses to residents to the doctors, surgeons, everybody
really treated you like you were in their family.
Dr. Fishbein, I mean he looked at you all like he was one of his kids.
So for him to go out and play baseball and go to school
and see him with his friends is so huge, so huge,
because at one point we didn’t think that was gonna happen.
In the summer of 2008, a new unit,
the Georgetown University Hospital Transplant Center for Children,
opened its doors.
One of a kind in the mid-Atlantic devoted just to children
and just to children with transplant of a small bowel, liver, kidney
and other abdominal organs.
Patient and family comfort is part of every aspect of the design.
The patient rooms have a couch that can be used for an overnight bed.
The rooms provide for state of the art care but they’re also family friendly.
Each is designed to be as comfortable as it is functional.
Families can partition off their own living space when needed.
There are storage spaces to organize your things for extended stays
and the spacious bathrooms include your own shower
as well as plenty of counter space and personal storage.
The unit also includes
a newly Donated Playroom that can be used by the whole family.
The room is fully loaded with books, videos, music, play areas, games
and a complete supply of activities for every interest.
There’s also a comfortable family lounge that can be used at anytime.
It has a dining area, a full kitchen for preparing meals,
a washing machine and dryer, and a computer.
The idea behind this unit was to create an environment
in which the total care of a patient could be done in one space
where both the family and the patient themselves could reside during the period
that they are under in patient care.
We have the parents here as much as possible. We encourage it.
We think it’s an enable part of how the child will heal.
I think it’s very important that they’re in an environment which is friendly.
Colorful walls, fish tanks and seeing the playrooms to
sort of kept their mind off the fact that they are in a hospital
and they do have a very serious medical condition.
Meeting the child’s diet and nutritional needs is crucial
to ensure in the successful abdominal transplant.
Georgetown’s Transplant Center for children has nutrition experts
dedicated to addressing those highly specialized needs.
We make sure that we’re providing adequate nutrition for kids
but not having any harm
That’s a very complete look at all their micronutrients
and check their blood to make sure
that they are getting the best tailored, nutrition regimen for each individual child.
Children come to Georgetown from all over the world.
This is Cynthia Keller and her son Cameron
who had a successful transplant of the small bowel, liver and pancreas.
The unit has been there home away from home.
We’re from Columbia, South Carolina.
We are quite a few miles away from here so yeah I was just really impressed.
There are four of us – my husband and myself and then we have a nine-year old
and then we have Cameron here
and this room has been quite accommodating for our family.
Everyone has just made this a really great experience for us
and Cameron is definitely progressing well
which is great considering all that you went through,
what you’re going through and then what’s ahead.
And what is ahead for all transplant patients is the critical follow up care
to ensure their continued health.
Georgetown is a great, great place. I thank them all the time.
It’s like we’re all family.
You can call anytime day and night and ask, you know, any questions
or if you have a concern.
So they’re real good about explaining everything
and giving you the information that you need to know
regarding your care while at home.
What do you like to eat?
Apple [0:07:25.2]
And what else?
What’s your favorite that we have every night?
Ice cream.