This may be a difficult Blog for some people to read, because we really don’t want to imagine our child hurting or suffering in any way. Serious Injury is never a planned event, and not a situation parents want to face. However, One of the leading causes of death for children are accidents resulting in serious injury.
If your child is critically hurt there is generally no time to stop and think about what is going on. Some parents fall apart right away and cry or become inconsolable. Other parents switch into auto-pilot mode and just trudge through the situation. No matter how the parents deal with the situation there are certain points along the way that cannot be avoided.
Once parents and family reach the hospital they may or may not have any idea what has actually happened to their child. This stage is usually filled with a lot of disbelief and hope that things will be okay.
Depending on the actual situation parents and family will begin to meet a variety of people related to the care of the child. Doctors, nurses, specialists, and social workers will begin to interact with parents and family members and information starts to become known.
I have been in this situation twice dealing with children. Once with my son who suffered a serious life changing injury and again with my 12 year old Niece who was placed on life support following an auto accident. At the time these moments seem as if someone else was living my life, they are surreal memories because everything was so shocking.
Parents will be asked to make decisions, shown ex-rays, given test results, and told of any surgeries or tests that might help improve or change the situation. Life-support may be discussed and families may be asked to make decisions about starting and continuing life support procedures.
Parents may be asked to make decisions about tissue and organ donation. This is perhaps one of the single most horrible moments any parent could ever possibly face. When the donor team is interested in consent the critical degree of the injury becomes very real. I don’t know of very many parents who think about donation of tissue or organs from a child. If there is any positive aspect of the meetings with the donor team it is the fact they understand and have sadly had to approach many families during the worst time of their lives.
From the moment a parent is informed their child is in critical or serious medical condition at a trauma hospital everything changes forever no matter the outcome.
I was there when my sister-in-law and our family said, “Goodbye.” to Jennifer because the injuries were too serious and there was no chance she would ever recover. I was also witness to a miracle when my 9-year-old son was taken by Life Flight and his left leg was saved. These events in life are not the ones a parent or anyone would want to ever experience, but everyday children suffer critical injury and families face a change in their lives they were not expecting.
*Jennifer and her grandfather (my father-in-law) were killed by a repeat drunk driver who had served jail time for killing 2 other people while driving drunk 20 years prior. He is now serving 16 years for his 3rd and 4th drunk driving victims.
Related Blogs:
- When Your Child Is Hurt–The Unexpected Trauma Injury
- 5-Things To Know If Your Child Has To Fly To A Trauma Hospital
- Preparing for a Sudden Death
- Journaling the Hard Times
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