Children’s Hospital is a fantastic place. It’s really quite incredible. It’s like an art gallery with sculptures, murals, paintings, and mosaics. It’s light and bright and cheerful and friendly.
sculpture garden entrance
They are very serious about security. Everyone must wear a photo ID that is issued at the door. There are several layers of reception and check-in/admitting. While waiting for the actual appointment, one is given a pager.
The lighting is stunning. Art glass everywhere.
aquatic art glass ceiling fixtures
art glass wall sconce
The floors are terrazzo with aquatic themed inlays. There are fish and turtles and all manner of sea creatures everywhere you look.
walking with the turtles
Giant wall murals morph into etched glass walls. Simply stunning.
All this beauty to behold. But it still doesn’t detract from the real beauty within those walls. Children of all kinds. Children with reasons to be there. It’s almost too hard to think about, these children, and why they are here.
Why we are here.
probably the best baby in the universe
He has a congenital spinal defect.
notched vertebrae
The vertebrae in the middle of the picture has a notch in it. It’s underdeveloped. If it doesn’t get a chance to fill out properly, the spinal cord could be damaged. If it doesn’t grow properly, there may need to be surgery. But it could resolve on its own. That is my deepest hope. He’s too small for a back brace to keep him rigid. We’re told to discourage sitting. He can be on his knees or his tummy or he can stand, but he has to avoid sitting. He can only sit reclined, to keep the spine elongated.
less of this
We go back in three months for more x-rays. The good news is the ultrasound showed his kidneys and bladder are all normal. We will hope that the notch becomes less pronounced with time. I want to avoid the MRI if at all possible. The thought of general anesthesia for my infant makes me very sad. So if his progress is good, we may be able to forego the MRI. And surgery.
giant whale swimming through space
And we will spend very little time with the giant whales and sea creatures.
sea creatures everywhere
It’s a beautiful place to visit. It’s a more beautiful place to leave.
