Albany Medical Center

The eighth and final stop on my Albany tour was to visit patients at The Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center! This is the eighth Children's Miracle Network Hospital I have gotten to visit so far this year.

I was joined again by Miss Empire Star 2011 Jenn Pollard, who has spent many hours volunteering at this location. Amy and Brenna, two of the hospital's Child Life Specialists, lead us through our visit to the pediatric unit. We stopped by rooms where patients sat comfortably relaxing with family members by their side. In one room we found a young man engaged in a heated race on his Wii as his mother gently put finishing paint strokes on a small bird house. In another, a girl's walls were plastered with hand painted signs from friends and a mountain of stuffed animals sat smiling from her bedside. Each time we left a room the staff adjusted the lights or sent for any additional comforts the patient seemed to want. So proactively supportive of each patient! From those who had been there for meer hours to those patients who'd been around for weeks, staff knew the needs and - more impressively - likes of each child.

Every few minutes we would pass a room full of games or books, with no patient's room more than fifteen feet from a place to play. At one point we stopped by the main play room. A large tree with a grinning face stood tall in one corner, towering amiably over half the room. A tiny stuffed bear was swinging, literally, from his branches. A glass paneled wall curved up and over our heads to give the room a panoramic view of the sunset. From Barbie Dream Car to Hess Trucks, every classic toy lined the floor as parents sat calmly watching little ones play. We got down to do just the same.

Albany Med brings in patients from across the region and even neighboring states. I met one doctor on the way out who performs surgery on hearts the size of coffee beans. This is also the first hospital to perform an EXIT procedure in the Capitol region. Partnered with Albany Medical College, they have the best new doctors coming to them each year. Children's Miracle Network helps them maintain equipment that maximizes this staff's skills. All day I had been told how lucky I was to be visiting here, so clearly the community knows just how good this center is.

Thank you to Amy, Brenna, and all of the staff for showing Jenn and me around!! And thanks to all our new friends! We'll be back again soon!

You can help me support this hospital. New Yorker's have helped me raise nearly $4,000 for Children's Miracle Network to benefit their New York State hospitals, just like this one. Learn how here!