Walker Gorney Parent’s Lounge Reopened in NMCP’s Pediatrics Ward

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Kris Lindstrom | 180228-N-GN619-028 Portsmouth, Va. (Feb. 28, 2018) – Laura Gorney, left, and her family sees the renovated parent’s lounge at the reopening for the first time since the renovation began in the Pediatrics Ward at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP). The lounge was renovated by the Gorney family and the Roc Solid Foundation. The parent’s lounge is dedicated to the memory of Walker Gorney, an NMCP cancer patient who passed away in April 2008. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kris R. Lindstrom)  

PORTSMOUTH, VA, UNITED STATES

02.28.2018

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kris Lindstrom 

Naval Medical Center - Portsmouth

As the door opened, joy washed over Laura Gorney’s face as she stepped into the newly renovated lounge in the Pediatrics Ward at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP). She said “wow” several times as she looked around. So many memories she has in this room, and so many emotions shared years before as her son Walker went through cancer treatment. On this day, though, she was overjoyed to see the improvements to what she used to refer to as the “fish bowl.”
NMCP’s Pediatrics Ward held the grand reopening of the parent’s lounge Feb. 28 after the much-needed renovations. The lounge was dedicated in memory of Walker Gorney, a patient who passed away from cancer in 2008.
In addition to Laura Gorney, the others who were on hand to see the renovations were Chris Brogan, child life specialist at NMCP; Megan DuHond, program coordinator for the Roc Solid Foundation; Gerri Starr, the interior designer of the lounge; NMCP’s leadership and other key contributors and staff.
“We are so honored for Roc Solid to partner with the Gorney family,” Brogan said. “And with us to take care of our parents so they can be refreshed, take a break, and get back a little bit of solid mind to be able to take care of their kids, to make difficult decisions, and to help their children cope with being in the hospital. This parent lounge really makes a nice impact on our families.”
Gorney and her family, who were in the ward around the clock when Walker was a patient, wanted to give back to NMCP and the staff who worked so diligently to help her son.
“We wanted to provide a place where parents could escape when their kids are inpatients,” Gorney said. “A place where they can have those tough discussions with their child’s physicians and have privacy.”
Last year, Gorney met Eric Newman, the founder of the Roc Solid Foundation as well as a childhood cancer survivor. She told him her son’s story with his cancer diagnosis and the treatment. After hearing the story, Eric replied, “What can Roc Solid do to help you keep his memory and his legacy alive?”
“We immediately came in and met with Laura and met with Chris [Brogan],” said Megan DuHond, who represented Roc Solid though the renovation. “We brought in our wonderful designer, Gerri [Starr], and she picked out all the furniture, paint colors and everything else that’s in there. We hope this will make families more comfortable and make this more of a getaway. This is what hope looks like when it’s not what you hoped for at all. And we just want Walker’s legacy carried on.”
April 11 will mark the 10-year anniversary of Walker’s death. A plaque hangs in the lounge honoring his memory now and for years to come.
“Every year, people come and people go,” said Capt. Christopher Culp, NMCP commanding officer. “But over the years, each one of them is a thread – the thread builds the cloth, and the cloth is our legacy. It’s not just the staff. There’s a story behind everything and the stories aren’t really stories, they are people. It’s the people who make it real. This is his story that you’ve allowed us to keep alive and to serve as an inspiration and hope.”

• Date Taken: 02.28.2018
• Date Posted: 03.12.2018 15:44
• Story ID: 269063
• Location: PORTSMOUTH, VA, US