As many of you know, I am doing an internship at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York. I am doing my internship to become a Child Life Specialist. What is a Child Life Specialist? Well here is an excerpt from the Child Life Council on childlife.org:
"Child life specialists are trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families overcome life’s most challenging events. Armed with a strong background in child development and family systems, child life specialists promote effective coping through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. They provide emotional support for families, and encourage optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization. Because they understand that a child’s wellbeing depends on the support of the family, child life specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members. They also play a vital role in educating caregivers, administrators, and the general public about the needs of children under stress."
It's not an easy field and I'd be lying if I said my eyes haven't already welled up with tears on more than one occasion, but it is amazing. It is amazing to offer support to the sick child, and amazing to see the strength they have.
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