Stead Family Children's Hospital

MelroseHawkins

MelroseHawkins

Well-Known Member
Boy, this is really becoming an iconic building and will be a landmark in Iowa City second to Kinnick Stadium. The national attention and people identifying it with Iowa is amazing. When they talk about "The Wave" on TV, just the mention still puts a lump in my throat.

The reason I say it is becoming iconic and a landmark is it really sticks out in the Iowa City landscape skyline and one can see it from many directions, often before even seeing Kinnick stadium. You can clearly see it in downtown Iowa City when up in a building or parking garage.

We in the area are used to it, but I can imagine what it is and will be like for opposing fans our out-of-towners when coming into Iowa City. They'd be like "There's the Children's Hospital". It is a very unique and stunning facility and one would know what it is the minute they see it. What a great marriage with Kinnick stadium. This helps so much with the University of Iowa brand. Everybody in the nation ties the Stead Family Children's Hospital with the University of Iowa.

It is going to be another iconic building in Iowa City.
 
I thought after seeing "The Wave" a few times, the novelty would've worn off, but I still get a tish misty eyed when they do it.:oops:
 
One of my children has been a patient at the hospital several times. She was disappointed her stays weren't over a weekend during the football season (next surgery scheduled after football is over) but she did think it cool that she got to see the stadium when there.

Something that did surprise me is that when she's been there the number of other patients is really low during the week. I imagine weekends even lower. Maybe it was just timing.

Annoying was when some obvious privileged types were taking in the splendor and wouldn't give up their seats or space standing up to the window to my daughter who was a day out of surgery (obviously in distress), and a boy who had major health issues. We were able to wait, but the boy's and his family left right away.

Anyone who hasn't been up there though, it's really worth seeing.
 
HawkGold said:
One of my children has been a patient at the hospital several times. She was disappointed her stays weren't over a weekend during the football season (next surgery scheduled after football is over) but she did think it cool that she got to see the stadium when there.

Something that did surprise me is that when she's been there the number of other patients is really low during the week. I imagine weekends even lower. Maybe it was just timing.

Annoying was when some obvious privileged types were taking in the splendor and wouldn't give up their seats or space standing up to the window to my daughter who was a day out of surgery (obviously in distress), and a boy who had major health issues. We were able to wait, but the boy's and his family left right away.

Anyone who hasn't been up there though, it's really worth seeing.
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Yes, some people just don't see others but themselves. There are some kids who never have to go thru adversity at a young age, and others who do such as your daughter. If there is a light at the end of the tunnel, often times these kids that go thru adversity grow up with a much better mind frame and can handle adversity better when they are older, and often times have their priorities straight. They are tough kids.

Good luck to your daughter and family.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
Boy, this is really becoming an iconic building and will be a landmark in Iowa City second to Kinnick Stadium. The national attention and people identifying it with Iowa is amazing. When they talk about "The Wave" on TV, just the mention still puts a lump in my throat.

The reason I say it is becoming iconic and a landmark is it really sticks out in the Iowa City landscape skyline and one can see it from many directions, often before even seeing Kinnick stadium. You can clearly see it in downtown Iowa City when up in a building or parking garage.

We in the area are used to it, but I can imagine what it is and will be like for opposing fans our out-of-towners when coming into Iowa City. They'd be like "There's the Children's Hospital". It is a very unique and stunning facility and one would know what it is the minute they see it. What a great marriage with Kinnick stadium. This helps so much with the University of Iowa brand. Everybody in the nation ties the Stead Family Children's Hospital with the University of Iowa.

It is going to be another iconic building in Iowa City.
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I feel this way when I cross the Mississippi River, which I do at least four times every workday and have probably done about 40,000 times in my lifetime. I never take for granted how iconic the Mississippi is. As I cross it for the umpteenth thousandth time, I look at that vehicle next to me with the out of state license plate and wonder if they are crossing it for the first.
 
Northside Hawk said:
I feel this way when I cross the Mississippi River, which I do at least four times every workday and have probably done about 40,000 times in my lifetime. I never take for granted how iconic the Mississippi is. As I cross it for the umpteenth thousandth time, I look at that vehicle next to me with the out of state license plate and wonder if they are crossing it for the first.
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I have the same feeling when crossing the Mississippi. I have nothing but respect for that old river. Just think if you lived on the coast and never got to Iowa but when did got to see it or cross it after learning about it and its importance. We've been spoiled to have it in our back yard, per se.
 
HawkGold said:
Annoying was when some obvious privileged types were taking in the splendor and wouldn't give up their seats or space standing up to the window to my daughter who was a day out of surgery (obviously in distress), and a boy who had major health issues. We were able to wait, but the boy's and his family left right away..
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This part has really started to catch my eye. Seems like whenever they show the wave on TV the people waving back from the hospital are adults or healthy kids. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong, but IMO the front row spots should be reserved for the sick kids going through the worst experiences. Don't get me wrong, the families are going through some tough times as well, but the kids are the ones who the wave is meant for.
 
mopkins said:
This part has really started to catch my eye. Seems like whenever they show the wave on TV the people waving back from the hospital are adults or healthy kids. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong, but IMO the front row spots should be reserved for the sick kids going through the worst experiences. Don't get me wrong, the families are going through some tough times as well, but the kids are the ones who the wave is meant for.
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But if you line up a bunch of hospital beds against the window it will destroy the sight lines for the kid who got his tonsils taken out on Friday and managed to turn it into an overnight stay. JUST KIDDING - I just noticed the same thing as you. Frankly, though, if my boy was battling leukemia or something I probably wouldn't drag him up to the viewing place and I would want his privacy respected and not have him shown on TV unless he really wanted to do it.
 
okeefe4prez said:
But if you line up a bunch of hospital beds against the window it will destroy the sight lines for the kid who got his tonsils taken out on Friday and managed to turn it into an overnight stay. JUST KIDDING - I just noticed the same thing as you. Frankly, though, if my boy was battling leukemia or something I probably wouldn't drag him up to the viewing place and I would want his privacy respected and not have him shown on TV unless he really wanted to do it.
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yeah agreed. im not looking to exploit the kids in any way, I just see a lot of healthy looking people waving back in the windows and cant decide if its people taking advantage of a sad situation or just parents and siblings looking for an escape.

What can I say, I'm cynical.
 
mopkins said:
yeah agreed. im not looking to exploit the kids in any way, I just see a lot of healthy looking people waving back in the windows and cant decide if its people taking advantage of a sad situation or just parents and siblings looking for an escape.

What can I say, I'm cynical.
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I hate to say it, but there is something about sick kids that can bring out the absolute worst in people. Once word got around about the benefits of having a disabled child at Disney, the number of kids with disabilities skyrocketed and there are forums for people talking about how to milk services and privileges for everything. People are way too quick to take advantage of the kindness of others. I'm definitely not saying that this is the case at the children's hospital, but yeah, well the world has done things to make people cynical.
 
mopkins said:
This part has really started to catch my eye. Seems like whenever they show the wave on TV the people waving back from the hospital are adults or healthy kids. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong, but IMO the front row spots should be reserved for the sick kids going through the worst experiences. Don't get me wrong, the families are going through some tough times as well, but the kids are the ones who the wave is meant for.
Click to expand...

Several thoughts but haven't been there on a Saturday. Some kids do look fine and are not. A child there for a blood disorder treatment or cancer may in fact look fine. I could see siblings being there as well and yes maybe parents. a sick child is a big ordeal. My daughters room did overlook the stadium and if there on a Saturday she would have a fine view.

Kids going through the worst experiences may not be able to attend. If the immune system is deplete, they won't be there. If my daughter were within a few days of surgery, she certainly couldn't be there by herself. She isn't likely to have a nurse with her as the nurse would be busy with other patients. The last one she was out pretty quickly, but no way for 24 hours she was going to watch a game as they had to monitor her quite closely.

Whenever we've been there the number of kids around in hospital just hasn't been that high compared to St. Louis and Chicago. I was surprised.

I have no idea what criterion is used to prioritize who is there. Her longest stay in hospital was at another Children's hospital and was for two weeks and frankly she would have looked better them than two days after her most recent hospitalization. Anytime it's over more than a couple of days it's a real challenge to the family physically and emotionally.

For suggestions, I can honestly say that the Ronald McDonald House is way below par and would be more helpful for families than the WAVE (I still think it is a terrific idea and my daughter was thrilled just to see the place and the stadium). We walked in and walked out of RMH as the furnishings were old and grungy. Very nice people though. We put up in a hotel instead. I was surprised how bad parking is for the house. Parking was mostly and Finkbine which is a problem for families wanting to get out for a little bit.

If anyone wants to help families, that would be a great place to start by making donations or form a group to make meals at the house.
 
okeefe4prez said:
I hate to say it, but there is something about sick kids that can bring out the absolute worst in people. Once word got around about the benefits of having a disabled child at Disney, the number of kids with disabilities skyrocketed and there are forums for people talking about how to milk services and privileges for everything. People are way too quick to take advantage of the kindness of others. I'm definitely not saying that this is the case at the children's hospital, but yeah, well the world has done things to make people cynical.
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It's tough to tell. With my daughter, it's not hard to spot, especially when she was younger. For sure there are those taking advantage, but at the same time I also saw the looks of people who were not happy with a healthy looking child taking advantage of the situation. Some of the families I felt bad for as their child didn't look sick but was. The best policy is making sibs go through the line and allow the ill or handicapped child to join at the point of actually getting on the ride. My child has several issues, and one of them by itself doesn't look sick, but its actually her biggest issue.
 
HawkGold said:
It's tough to tell. With my daughter, it's not hard to spot, especially when she was younger. For sure there are those taking advantage, but at the same time I also saw the looks of people who were not happy with a healthy looking child taking advantage of the situation. Some of the families I felt bad for as their child didn't look sick but was. The best policy is making sibs go through the line and allow the ill or handicapped child to join at the point of actually getting on the ride. My child has several issues, and one of them by itself doesn't look sick, but its actually her biggest issue.
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Totally understand. I'm talking about these types of assholes: https://nypost.com/2013/05/14/rich-...guides-so-kids-can-cut-lines-at-disney-world/
 
HawkGold said:
Several thoughts but haven't been there on a Saturday. Some kids do look fine and are not. A child there for a blood disorder treatment or cancer may in fact look fine. I could see siblings being there as well and yes maybe parents. a sick child is a big ordeal. My daughters room did overlook the stadium and if there on a Saturday she would have a fine view.

Kids going through the worst experiences may not be able to attend. If the immune system is deplete, they won't be there. If my daughter were within a few days of surgery, she certainly couldn't be there by herself. She isn't likely to have a nurse with her as the nurse would be busy with other patients. The last one she was out pretty quickly, but no way for 24 hours she was going to watch a game as they had to monitor her quite closely.

Whenever we've been there the number of kids around in hospital just hasn't been that high compared to St. Louis and Chicago. I was surprised.

I have no idea what criterion is used to prioritize who is there. Her longest stay in hospital was at another Children's hospital and was for two weeks and frankly she would have looked better them than two days after her most recent hospitalization. Anytime it's over more than a couple of days it's a real challenge to the family physically and emotionally.

For suggestions, I can honestly say that the Ronald McDonald House is way below par and would be more helpful for families than the WAVE (I still think it is a terrific idea and my daughter was thrilled just to see the place and the stadium). We walked in and walked out of RMH as the furnishings were old and grungy. Very nice people though. We put up in a hotel instead. I was surprised how bad parking is for the house. Parking was mostly and Finkbine which is a problem for families wanting to get out for a little bit.

If anyone wants to help families, that would be a great place to start by making donations or form a group to make meals at the house.
Click to expand...

There is a point in this (you may not have intended to make it, but it's an excellent point): "healthy" siblings. Many assume the "healthy" siblings are "fine". Often, they are as emotionally shot as the parents. Kids that age have questions, and way too often the adults ignore or sugar-coat.

Sorry to hear about your experience at RMH. The one our Kiwanis club supports (we provide/prepare/serve dinner every month) is top-flight. It is newer, so that may factor in.
 
hawkeyebob62 said:
There is a point in this (you may not have intended to make it, but it's an excellent point): "healthy" siblings. Many assume the "healthy" siblings are "fine". Often, they are as emotionally shot as the parents. Kids that age have questions, and way too often the adults ignore or sugar-coat.

Sorry to hear about your experience at RMH. The one our Kiwanis club supports (we provide/prepare/serve dinner every month) is top-flight. It is newer, so that may factor in.
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Thanks for bringing out that point. It turns our whole family upside down at times. Not to mention that kids with special needs are often targeted for bullying and the sibs have to live through that as well. One of my "healthy kids" ( a stellar athlete btw, who got to play against Bates Diopp, Lyle, Finke, Hill and a bunch of others has a friend whose dad is a doctor. That family made it clear that our daughter wouldn't be allowed to be around their daughter (they were both in K at the time) as our daughters appearance would "frighten" their daughter. Caused a lot of internal conflict for our son.

I will say the people at Stead were very nice, but then again most involved in children's type hospitals aren't. It wasn't the fault of the local RMH. They need more funding, but I'm not sure how that works. RMH is a terrific program. The best thing is having a place to chill out. That part of IC RMH seemed just fine. It was the individual room and that may have just been what was available. It for sure needed help. It's also really nice when people come in and cook meals as it gives an impression that there are people who do care. Glad to hear you are involved.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
I have the same feeling when crossing the Mississippi. I have nothing but respect for that old river. Just think if you lived on the coast and never got to Iowa but when did got to see it or cross it after learning about it and its importance. We've been spoiled to have it in our back yard, per se.
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Yes we are. But. By this weekend and early next week some people may get more than they bargained for with the Mississippi literally in or near their back yard.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
I have the same feeling when crossing the Mississippi. I have nothing but respect for that old river. Just think if you lived on the coast and never got to Iowa but when did got to see it or cross it after learning about it and its importance. We've been spoiled to have it in our back yard, per se.
Click to expand...
Part of the reason my old lady wanted to move to the South was so we didn't drive to Iowa anymore because she said if she has to hear this one more time she is going to yank the wheel into the Old Man while we cross the bridge:

 
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