COVER STORY SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital

ONE PATIENT’S STORY CARING FOR KIDS

BY JULIA M. JOHNSON

When you’re a parent raising young children, nothing is more important than safeguarding their health and well-being. You want the most complete and compassionate care for your kids, whether they just need routine checkups or have injuries or illnesses requiring treatment. And when your family’s situation is uncertain, you need a trustworthy partner just as much—a medical home that offers a high level of care no matter what your financial status happens to be.

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital provides the care and treatment kids need to be healthy, and it relies on generous partners and innovative programs to accomplish that mission so no child is turned away. One of its major fundraising initiatives is the Glennon Card, a shopping discount program that allows St. Louisans to be part of the hospital’s lifesaving work by saving money at area businesses for a 10-day period each fall. The program is organized by the SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation and the Glennon Guild, a women’s auxiliary that supports the hospital.

One of the best things about the Glennon Card is how easy the program makes it for people to care. This year, the shopping period runs from Oct. 15-24, and more than 270 retailers, restaurants and other businesses have signed on to participate. St. Louisans can visit glennoncard.org to learn more, purchase a $60 card and use it as often as they like to get 20% discounts during the designated shopping period. Some retailers sell the card on-site as well.

Shoppers can buy the card in a digital form, and the website offers tools to help them map out their shopping trips in advance. Many St. Louisans take advantage of the program to get a head start on their holiday gift buying, whether they are shopping in person or online. Either way, they can feel confident about making a difference because 100% of funds from card sales go toward important care and treatment programs for Cardinal Glennon patients. Over the years, Glennon Card proceeds have supported critical needs like new ultrasound and surgical equipment, inpatient cancer therapies, telehealth services and 3D printing technology to advance care and treatment.

If you’ve ever wondered who benefits from funds raised by the program, it’s kids like Trevor, Levi and Bella Hughes of St. Louis. Their mother, Olivia Brown, says Cardinal Glennon is the only place she takes her children for care because she feels so comfortable with the attention they receive. Brown says she took her young family to other clinics in the past but didn’t feel nearly as confident about their ability to treat children’s unique needs.

“We love the Danis Pediatric Center at Cardinal Glennon,” she says. “When we arrive, my sons actually say, ‘I like this hospital!’ We have a great relationship with the doctors and nurses, and they really care about my kids. Visiting the doctor is never scary because of everything the staff does to make it pleasant.” Brown says her children look forward to the hospital’s games, activities and inviting interiors, all created for the purpose of making the health care experience more positive, less intimidating and easier for kids to handle.

Brown says her family uses the pediatric practice for well child visits, vaccinations and other routine care. Trevor also went to Cardinal Glennon after suffering a broken arm, and Bella spent some time in the neonatal intensive care unit because she was born early. Now, Brown says all three of her children are healthy and doing well.

“Cardinal Glennon has the kinds of resources we need,” she explains. “I can meet with a social worker who helps me get supplies like diapers, milk and food. If I am looking for resources like housing, she helps me research them. And if I need help getting my children to doctor visits, staff members work with me to set up transportation. Even if one of the kids just has a simple health problem like eczema, the staff provides the care we need and comes up with practical things I can do at home to help them.”

Brown adds that she appreciates everything Cardinal Glennon professionals do to reassure her about the children’s health and growth. She says the nurses, doctors and therapists deserve high marks for making health care a positive experience, and they communicate with her regularly so she can feel confident that her family is developing well.

“When I bring the kids in for something like shots, the nurses help get their minds off it by reading and playing with them,” she says. “My kids love the doctors, too. Whenever I hear that another family is thinking about bringing their children to Cardinal Glennon, I tell them it’s the best place to go. The staff doesn’t just look out for the kids — they really care about the parents and the family as well.” &

OLIVIA BROWN BRINGS HER CHILDREN TO THE DANIS PEDIATRIC CENTER FOR A WELLNESS VISIT.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SSM HEALTH CARDINAL GLENNON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL