Media blitz at the Stollery ER Expansion Opening

WOW, what a crazy day yesterday was.  I figured there would be media at the Stollery ER Opening, but had no idea it would be so crazy.  How do people in the public eye do it?  All those cameras, people asking you questions from every direction, requests for interviews coming one after the other.  I'll say it again WOW!  I must also say, meeting the premier was a crazy experience!

Charlotte yawning hee hee

We were asked to be a part of this extremely important event because I had the privilege of being apart of the group that helped redesign the waiting area and triage for the new ER.  I am apart of the Family Centred Care Network at the hospital, and, being a designer by trade, have an added bonus of being able to understand two sides of the table: I speak architect and family.  It was a beautiful experience, having all sides work together to come up with something that will work for our families and help make the scary experience of coming to the hospital a little less scary.  Between the architects (Dialog), the staff at all levels (Management and front line) and myself (with input from the Network and our working group of 2 other family members) I think we created a space that all of Edmonton, and Canada, can be proud.

Goofing around in on of the procedure rooms

People always ask me why it is so important to give my time to the hospital.  That's easy: They saved Charlotte's life and its my way of giving back; of hopefully making the way a little bit easier for those families coming behind us; to help ease, somewhat, the burdens of those families going through what we did.  I watched a great episode of "A Spoonful of Paolo" where he did a surprise make-over for a breast cancer survivor.  She was saying how we shouldn't ask "Why", but "What For".  This is my what for.

In public, I'm pretty good at telling our story without getting too emotional.  I can get misty, maybe a frog in my throat, but I never cry.  I'm talking the ugly cry.  Well today, I did.  All it takes is Charlotte, without any prompting, amidst all those flashbulbs and questions, to sit up on the bed in one of the new treatment rooms in the ER, put hand to heart and say "I want to thank the Stollery, because without the hospital, I wouldn't be here"...

CTV Edmonton piece
http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120123/edm_emergency_120123/20120123/?hub=EdmontonHome

Global Edmonton piece


CBC Edmonton piece
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2012/01/23/edmonton-stollery-emergency-department.html

Edmonton Sun
http://www.edmontonsun.com/videos/video/1410217068001

Edmonton Journal
Story & Video (click tabs to see): http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Stollery+expansion+unveiled+today/6037193/story.html