Photo By Seaman Imani Daniels | PORTSMOUTH, Va. (August 6, 2020) – Naval Medical Center Portsmouth’s (NMCP)...... read more read more
NMCP Pediatric Oncology Department Receives Unique Gift
Story by Seaman Imani N. Daniels
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (August 6, 2020) The Pediatric Oncology Department at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) received a gift Aug. 6 from Operation Key West to the patients of the ward. Operation Key West is a program that aides in helping military families and small businesses. Their sole purpose is to improve the quality of life for wounded heroes and their families.
Under normal circumstances, the Operation Key West program includes sending military parents who have lost a child, on an all-expense paid vacation of their choice. The program provides a respite – a time and place of peace removed from home and the busyness and burdens of daily living – to allow these parents to have the opportunity to rebuild relationships and restore their lives.
“Operation Key West has been doing a phenomenal job of supporting a very special population of ours and that is parents who have lost a child to childhood cancer,” said Chris Brogan, NMCP child life specialist. “These parents are military personnel, veterans, and retirees whose child got care at NMCP. Most kids, who endure a battle with cancer, make it but there are some children who don’t.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic postponing normal procedures, Operation Key West decided to fund a Nintendo Switch game system for the Pediatric Oncology Department here at NMCP. The game system provides a much needed diversion for children enduring the rigors of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, reducing anxiety, alleviating boredom, and helping parents see that the children are being taken care of medically and psychosocially.
“Operation Key West hasn’t been able to send families on vacations so they reached out to find an alternative way to help families,” Brogan said. “I sent them a wish list of things that kids here would like. The Nintendo Switch is a great system; it came with extra controllers and games. We were excited to be able to finally upgrade our video game systems for the patients.”
Abby Furco, a patient of the Pediatric Oncology Department, became the first person to break in the new game system at NMCP.
“This game reminds me of game I’ve played in the past, so I’m really excited about the system,” said Abby. “It is a great way to help pass the time.”
The new game system will assist in meeting the needs of the pediatric ward patients and providing diversions from the stress of cancer fighting procedures.
As the U.S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating military hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally-acclaimed, state-of-the-art medical center, along with the area's 10 branch health and TRICARE Prime Clinics, provide care for the Hampton Roads area. The medical center also supports premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsman for future roles in healing and wellness.
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2020 16:05 |
| Story ID: | 376767 |
| Location: | PORTS, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 130 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NMCP Pediatric Oncology Department Receives Unique Gift, by SN Imani Daniels, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT