The Hummingbird Campaign - Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center

The Hummingbird Campaign
It’s been said that a small action, such as the flapping of a hummingbird’s wings,
can alter the atmosphere on a global scale. Our own Hummingbird Campaign
will change the course of many lives right here in New York State
Inspired by the legacy of
St. Elizabeth Seton,
the St. Elizabeth Seton Children’s
Foundation provides philanthropic
support to enhance the medical,
therapeutic, rehabilitative and
special educational goals of medically
complex children served by the
Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center,
John A. Coleman School and
Children’s Rehabilitation Center.
The Foundation reaches
children and their families
across this continuum of
residential and communitybased services, celebrating
the uniqueness of each child.
where good beginnings never end
The John A.
Coleman School,
with campuses in White Plains and
Yonkers, is regionally recognized as
a school of excellence and provides
community and center-based
special education and
therapeutic programs to
children from over 40 school
districts in Westchester,
Putnam, the Bronx and
Manhattan.
The Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center
is a pediatric specialty nursing facility,
serving the most medically complex
children in New York State.
occupational, speech and feeding
therapies, music therapy, art therapy,
aquatic therapy and Child Life.
The Pediatric Center, which is a 137Our residents receive care in a nurturing,
bed and 165,000-square-foot complex, home-like environment, which helps
is in its 27th year of service and March
them reach their greatest potential.
2015 marked our third year in our new
home in Yonkers. We are rated as a fivestar facility in the “Best Nursing Homes”
category of U.S. News & World Report.
Our state-of-the-art, child-centered
building is the only LEED Gold certified
“green” pediatric facility in the country.
Children come to us with serious
medical and neurological challenges.
We provide comprehensive health care,
rehabilitation and special education
services to all our residents.
Our services include, but are not limited
to: medical care, nursing, respiratory
therapy, palliative care, pastoral care,
social work services, physical,
The Children’s
Rehabilitation Center
The White Plains campus
serves 145 children in 12
classrooms and the Yonkers
campus serves the
137 residents of the
Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center in
15 classrooms. The Coleman School
has been recognized for the last eight
years as a School of Excellence by
the National Association of Special
Education Teachers (NASET) and is
is an outpatient pediatric diagnostic
and treatment center that provides
comprehensive medical and
rehabilitative services to children
with complex physical and
developmental disabilities.
We now treat nearly 4,000
children each year—the largest
population we’ve served, yet.
The Children’s Rehabilitation
Center provides rehabilitative
services including physical,
occupational, and speech and
language pathology therapies,
as well as feeding therapy.
known for its comprehensive evaluation
component, early intervention services
and inclusive nursery school, Children’s
Place, reaching nearly 1,000 children
and their families each year.
We also offer clinical specialties
and services that include but
are not limited to: orthopedics,
physiatry, ophthalmology,
neurology, neonatology, audiology
and urology. In addition, we provide
psychological and social work
services, as well as Care at
Home case management
services. We offer a
brace/orthotic clinic
and an adaptive
equipment clinic, too. The Children’s
Rehabilitation Center also boasts a
therapeutic pool that many of our
children utilize for aquatic therapy.
Patients range in age from birth to
21-years-old and come to us from
Westchester, Putnam, Rockland,
Dutchess and Orange Counties
and the Bronx.
where good beginnings never end
The John A.
Coleman School,
with campuses in White Plains and
Yonkers, is regionally recognized as
a school of excellence and provides
community and center-based
special education and
therapeutic programs to
children from over 40 school
districts in Westchester,
Putnam, the Bronx and
Manhattan.
The Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center
is a pediatric specialty nursing facility,
serving the most medically complex
children in New York State.
occupational, speech and feeding
therapies, music therapy, art therapy,
aquatic therapy and Child Life.
The Pediatric Center, which is a 137Our residents receive care in a nurturing,
bed and 165,000-square-foot complex, home-like environment, which helps
is in its 27th year of service and March
them reach their greatest potential.
2015 marked our third year in our new
home in Yonkers. We are rated as a fivestar facility in the “Best Nursing Homes”
category of U.S. News & World Report.
Our state-of-the-art, child-centered
building is the only LEED Gold certified
“green” pediatric facility in the country.
Children come to us with serious
medical and neurological challenges.
We provide comprehensive health care,
rehabilitation and special education
services to all our residents.
Our services include, but are not limited
to: medical care, nursing, respiratory
therapy, palliative care, pastoral care,
social work services, physical,
The Children’s
Rehabilitation Center
The White Plains campus
serves 145 children in 12
classrooms and the Yonkers
campus serves the
137 residents of the
Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center in
15 classrooms. The Coleman School
has been recognized for the last eight
years as a School of Excellence by
the National Association of Special
Education Teachers (NASET) and is
is an outpatient pediatric diagnostic
and treatment center that provides
comprehensive medical and
rehabilitative services to children
with complex physical and
developmental disabilities.
We now treat nearly 4,000
children each year—the largest
population we’ve served, yet.
The Children’s Rehabilitation
Center provides rehabilitative
services including physical,
occupational, and speech and
language pathology therapies,
as well as feeding therapy.
known for its comprehensive evaluation
component, early intervention services
and inclusive nursery school, Children’s
Place, reaching nearly 1,000 children
and their families each year.
We also offer clinical specialties
and services that include but
are not limited to: orthopedics,
physiatry, ophthalmology,
neurology, neonatology, audiology
and urology. In addition, we provide
psychological and social work
services, as well as Care at
Home case management
services. We offer a
brace/orthotic clinic
and an adaptive
equipment clinic, too. The Children’s
Rehabilitation Center also boasts a
therapeutic pool that many of our
children utilize for aquatic therapy.
Patients range in age from birth to
21-years-old and come to us from
Westchester, Putnam, Rockland,
Dutchess and Orange Counties
and the Bronx.
where good beginnings never end
The John A.
Coleman School,
with campuses in White Plains and
Yonkers, is regionally recognized as
a school of excellence and provides
community and center-based
special education and
therapeutic programs to
children from over 40 school
districts in Westchester,
Putnam, the Bronx and
Manhattan.
The Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center
is a pediatric specialty nursing facility,
serving the most medically complex
children in New York State.
occupational, speech and feeding
therapies, music therapy, art therapy,
aquatic therapy and Child Life.
The Pediatric Center, which is a 137Our residents receive care in a nurturing,
bed and 165,000-square-foot complex, home-like environment, which helps
is in its 27th year of service and March
them reach their greatest potential.
2015 marked our third year in our new
home in Yonkers. We are rated as a fivestar facility in the “Best Nursing Homes”
category of U.S. News & World Report.
Our state-of-the-art, child-centered
building is the only LEED Gold certified
“green” pediatric facility in the country.
Children come to us with serious
medical and neurological challenges.
We provide comprehensive health care,
rehabilitation and special education
services to all our residents.
Our services include, but are not limited
to: medical care, nursing, respiratory
therapy, palliative care, pastoral care,
social work services, physical,
The Children’s
Rehabilitation Center
The White Plains campus
serves 145 children in 12
classrooms and the Yonkers
campus serves the
137 residents of the
Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center in
15 classrooms. The Coleman School
has been recognized for the last eight
years as a School of Excellence by
the National Association of Special
Education Teachers (NASET) and is
is an outpatient pediatric diagnostic
and treatment center that provides
comprehensive medical and
rehabilitative services to children
with complex physical and
developmental disabilities.
We now treat nearly 4,000
children each year—the largest
population we’ve served, yet.
The Children’s Rehabilitation
Center provides rehabilitative
services including physical,
occupational, and speech and
language pathology therapies,
as well as feeding therapy.
known for its comprehensive evaluation
component, early intervention services
and inclusive nursery school, Children’s
Place, reaching nearly 1,000 children
and their families each year.
We also offer clinical specialties
and services that include but
are not limited to: orthopedics,
physiatry, ophthalmology,
neurology, neonatology, audiology
and urology. In addition, we provide
psychological and social work
services, as well as Care at
Home case management
services. We offer a
brace/orthotic clinic
and an adaptive
equipment clinic, too. The Children’s
Rehabilitation Center also boasts a
therapeutic pool that many of our
children utilize for aquatic therapy.
Patients range in age from birth to
21-years-old and come to us from
Westchester, Putnam, Rockland,
Dutchess and Orange Counties
and the Bronx.
The Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center’s
Legacy of Compassion in Action
The Elizabeth Seton Pediatric
Center has a long history of
serving the underserved. Since
1988, we have provided expert
specialty nursing care to New York
State’s most medically complex
children, as well as assistance to
their parents who are challenged
from every angle of society.
For nearly a decade, we have
established an especially strong
reputation for providing care for
children with significant respiratory
needs, as a result of the creation
of our Long-Term Ventilator
Care Program.
Our Children
99% are unable to walk and
require a custom-made
seating system
91% have a palliative care plan
in place
84% will live at the Pediatric
Center throughout their life
or until the age of 21
63% have seizure disorders
53% have tracheostomies
19% are admitted for
specialized rehabilitation
18 require ventilator care
We live by the words of
St. Elizabeth Seton,
“All are Welcome.”
It was in early 2006 that the Pediatric
Center was first asked by the New
99% of our children’s stays are funded
York State Department of Health to
through the Medicaid system
consider offering long-term care
for ventilator-dependent children. 82% come to us from New York City
The Department of Health
17% are from Westchester,
recognized a growing need
the Hudson Valley and Long Island
to provide for this pediatric
1% are from New Jersey
population, whose caregivers
were desperately searching for
14 different religions are
an appropriate health care setting
celebrated at the
to place their child. As a result, the
Pediatric Center
Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center
did not hesitate to launch a long-term 12 different languages/
dialects are spoken
program for ventilator-dependent
by our families
children, making the Pediatric Center
the first in the state to address
this demand.
Before our groundbreaking Long-Term Ventilator
Care Program began, families of ventilator-dependent
children faced the cruel dilemma of having to relocate
their child out of state and far from their loved ones.
We knew we needed to repatriate
these children and reunite them with
their families.
We live by the words of St. Elizabeth
Seton, “All are Welcome.” To us that
means that all who seek our help will
not only receive it in the hands of
expert caregivers, but that help will
be provided with respect, dignity
and tenderness.
This project also includes
two other initiatives:
An important part of this philanthropic effort
is to create a Center for Excellence to export
knowledge across the country and internationally
on best practices in delivering holistic care
and improving the quality of life of
ventilator-dependent children.
The Hummingbird Campaign:
Be Part of the Change
In August of 2006, we were able to care
for four ventilator-dependent children.
This count increased to eight children
by the end of 2009 and then, when we
relocated from Manhattan to our present
home in Yonkers in 2012, we increased
this number to 18.
Now, with our eyes on the future, we
will soon nearly triple this number to
accommodate even more of New York
State’s ventilator-dependent children.
As of July 2014, we already had a waiting
list of 27 children and their families seeking
admission. Seventy percent (70%) of
this waiting list includes children who
are currently residing in facilities that
are located outside of New York State.
The Hummingbird Campaign, a $6 million
philanthropic effort initiated by the
St. Elizabeth Seton Children’s Foundation,
will unite 32 ventilator-dependent
children with their parents and loved
ones once again.
To do this, the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric
Center and the John A. Coleman School
will be expanding. We will break ground
on our $24 million expansion in November
2015 and we expect to be move-in ready
by the first quarter of 2017. This new, threestory addition will make the Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center the largest provider of
pediatric ventilator care in New York State;
we will be able to care for a total of 50
ventilator-dependent children, which will
bring the total number of children served
by the Pediatric Center to 169. In addition,
the John A. Coleman School, which serves
the residents of the Pediatric Center in
Yonkers, will add additional classrooms
to educate these 32 new residents.
Another facet includes the renewal and
renovation of our White Plains and Yonkers
campuses. Renewal and renovation of both
campuses may include physical capital
projects to the schools and their grounds,
as well as electronic capital projects.
To arrange for a personal tour, please contact:
Those who are considering
supporting this worthy effort,
or who wish to learn more
about the incredible children
who reside at the Elizabeth
Seton Pediatric Center, are
encouraged to come visit us.
Brian Harrington
Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement
300 Corporate Boulevard South
Yonkers, N.Y. 10701
m (914) 260-3751
t (914) 294-6114
[email protected]
www.setonpediatric.org
The Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center Way:
We Set the Standard for Caring for Ventilator-Dependent Children
The Elizabeth Seton Pediatric
Center consistently operates
at nearly 100% occupancy and
our 18-bed ventilator program
is always at capacity. This is
why we’re looking to expand.
As the first in the State to
develop a program for children
who are dependent on ventilators, we have spent almost a
decade honing our practice
and now we have set the
standard for how this care
should be delivered.
“At the Pediatric Center, we are
committed to maximizing the
health and life experiences
of our children who are dependent on mechanical ventilators
for respiratory support,” said
Gordon Hutcheon, M.D., the
Elizabeth Seton Pediatric
Center’s Chief Medical Officer.
“Our staff of skilled nurses,
respiratory therapists,
rehabilitation therapists,
social workers, dieticians
and physicians, in conjunction
with multiple pediatric subspecialists, ensure that their
complex health care needs are
consistently met,” he said.
In addition, at the Elizabeth
Seton Pediatric Center, we
believe that residents need
to take part in Creative Arts
therapies, recreation therapies
and Child Life. “Our dedicated,
interdisciplinary teams make
sure that our children are recognized as important members of
their communities,” Dr. Hutcheon
noted. “Our families are also an
integral part of our care process
and we join with them to address
all of the child’s medical,
educational, emotional and
spiritual needs.”
Carmela Senese, the Pediatric
Center’s Chief Rehabilitation
Officer, echoed Dr. Hutcheon’s
sentiments. “Our residents enjoy
the outdoors and they take part
in our group activities. Many of
our children who are dependent
on ventilators also utilize technology, like iPads, to communicate
with those around them and take
a more active role in their daily
care,” she said. “We try to offer
our children who are dependent
on ventilators as many opportunities as possible to interact with
their environment
and experience the
joys of childhood,
just like a typically
developing child.”
St. Elizabeth Seton Children’s Foundation
The Hummingbird Campaign
Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center Recognition Opportunities
The Hummingbird Campaign:
Project Costs, Financing and
Recognition Opportunities
Project Cost: $24,000,000
HUD Mortgage: $18,000,000
Capital Campaign Objective: $6,000,000
Gifts may be pledged and paid over a period of
up to five years. Gifts may be in the form of cash,
securities, real estate or other real property.
An attractive and comprehensive schedule of
“Recognition Opportunities” has been developed
to encourage giving and show our gratitude for
your generous support of this project. The St. Elizabeth
Seton Children’s Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
corporation and contributions to it are tax deductible
to the fullest extent permissible by law.
Center for Pediatric Ventilator Care
$1,500,000
Pediatric Center – 2nd Floor
Will be home to 64 children
$500,000
Pediatric Center – 3rd Floor
Will be home to 61 children
$500,000
Pediatric Center – 4th Floor
Will be home to 44 children
$500,000
Physical Therapy Center
$250,000
Occupational Therapy Center
$250,000
Speech Therapy Center$250,000
Neighborhood Family Play Areas (8) $150,000
Adaptive Equipment Center
$150,000
Adaptive Playground$150,000
Taken by the
Verni Family
Foundation
Family Respite Suite$100,000
Resource Libraries (5)$50,000
Snoezelen Room – 2nd Floor
$50,000
Snoezelen Room – 3rd Floor
$50,000
Art Studio$50,000
Resident Rooms (71)$25,000
Taken by
Anonymous
Donor
Taken by the
Barbara Family
Foundation
Taken by
Anonymous
Donor
John A. Coleman School Recognition Opportunities
School Gymnasium/Common Area
$250,000
Taken by the
Luke O’Brien
Foundation
School Classrooms (16)$50,000
School Classroom 6$50,000
Taken by the
Caruso
Family
The Hummingbird Effect: We Change Lives
Max’s Story:
Meet Max, the first ventilator-dependent child we ever admitted
“You’ll sleep at night and rest easy knowing that
your child is not just taken care of, but loved.”
That’s what Rachel Amar, the mother of Max, a
ventilator-dependent child who resides at the
Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, said she would
tell the families of the 32 ventilator-dependent children who will soon be able to the call the Pediatric
Center home.
Rachel hasn’t
always been able
to have this peace
of mind about her
son and his care,
though. Prior to
the Pediatric Center, Rachel and
Max faced a difficult and uncertain
journey together,
which began
when Max was
born premature
at 32 weeks. Max
was born with brain stem atrophy, a diagnosis that
doesn’t allow him to breathe, swallow, regulate his
temperature or move on his own. For the beginning
of his life, especially the first two months, Max’s
condition was very unstable. He spent almost his
entire first year in the NICU and then the PICU
before being transferred to an acute rehabilitation
facility at 8-months-old.
However, after about a year, Rachel realized that
acute rehabilitation was not an appropriate fit for
her son. “He had stopped receiving rehabilita-
tion therapy and they did not want to take on the
liability of sending him to school, so he really was
not getting anything,” she said. That’s what spurred
Rachel to begin to search for a facility that could
not only care for her ventilator-dependent child
from a medical standpoint, but also one that could
provide him with the dignity, love and experiences
he deserved.
But what she found was that at that time, there
were no facilities in New York State that could
provide what she and Max so desperately needed.
So, Rachel took action; she wrote letters to local
and State politicians, contacted local news stations
and, eventually, she got the attention of the New
York State Department of Health. The Department
of Health worked with Rachel to search for a place
that could deliver long-term ventilator care for Max
and other children like him in their home state of
New York. When they, too, discovered that there
was no facility to meet these requirements, they
asked Pat Tursi, the CEO of the Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center to develop the first program of its
kind in the New York.
“When the Pediatric Center agreed to take Max
and they started preparing for it, I just couldn’t wait
… I was so happy,” Rachel said. On August 21,
2006, Max was the first ventilator-dependent child
moved to the Pediatric Center. Within three weeks,
three additional children joined Max in the Pediatric
Center’s Long-Term Ventilator Care Program. “Max
started going to school for the first time in years
and I knew he was receiving great care. Plus,
driving to Manhattan [from my home in Long Island]
was the closest I had been to my son in years,”
Rachel said.
When the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center relocated to their brand
new, state-of-the-art facility in Yonkers in 2012, Rachel was thrilled.
“I know it’s better for Max,” she said. “It’s all in the ambiance. The
facility is bigger, the building is beautiful and child-friendly and I can
take Max outside. More than anything, though, it’s the feeling that
we’re in a home, not a hospital.”
Rachel also lauded the staff for their involvement. “There’s no other
place like this. It’s truly more than just a job for the staff here; their
love is genuine and they take being ‘caregivers’ to another level,”
she said. “I finally have peace of mind when I leave my son for
the day.”
“When I come here, it’s relaxing,” Rachel continued. “I look forward
to it because I know that Max is happy, clean, cared for and attended to. That means that when I visit, I can just enjoy being with my
son,” she said. “Some days, I accompany him to school and other
times we just lie in bed together and read but, each day, I get to
kiss him … and I kiss him like crazy!” Rachel laughed. “Once I
get that smile, my whole day is made.”
“I finally have peace of mind when
I leave my son for the day.”
Rachel Amar, Max’s Mom
The Hummingbird Effect: We Change Lives
Kevin’s Story:
We care for Kevin and his entire family
“For almost 15 years now, my family and
I have gotten care here that I know we
couldn’t have gotten anywhere else.”
Leida Perez, Kevin’s Mom
We pride ourselves on delivering
a level of care that is completely
unique and unparalleled. At the core
of this care is our holistic approach,
which centers entirely on our
resident and their loved ones.
That focus has made all the
difference for Leida Perez and her
family. Leida’s oldest son, Kevin,
has been a resident at the
Pediatric Center since he was only
a few weeks old. Kevin was born
with brain damage that didn’t allow
him to move or eat on his own and,
as a result, he has required
assistance with all daily functions.
“I feel at peace because he’s here,”
said Leida. “I’ve been very happy
with the care here because I see
that the staff has fought for him;
they’ve fought for him to receive the
best care possible.”
And for Kevin and his family, it’s
been a hard fight, too. In September
of 2013, when Kevin was 13-yearsold, he went into cardiac arrest and
needed to be placed on a ventilator. This sudden change in Kevin’s
health was very difficult for Leida
to accept and since that time she
has relied on the Pediatric Center’s staff for their support and
tenderness to cope with Kevin’s
fragile condition.
The Pediatric Center has a Palliative Care Program in place that is
designed to provide children with
relief from the symptoms, pain
and stress of a serious illness
– whatever the diagnosis. Our
Palliative Care Program addresses
the needs of our residents who have
life-limiting conditions, as well as
the needs of their families. Through
this program, Leida has received
support from various staff members
from a variety of disciplines, including art therapy, music therapy and
pastoral care.
“I’ve worked with Leida and Kevin’s
family by offering supportive experiences they can share together, from
creating art work to hang in Kevin’s
room to taking family portraits at his
bedside,” said Caroline Mason, an
art therapist. “Through a Child
Life initiative known as ‘Precious Hands,’
Leida was able to create handprints with
Kevin as a lasting keepsake to cherish.”
“The freedom to call on these services in a
time of need is what makes the Elizabeth
Seton Pediatric Center so special,” said
Deborah D’Angelo, a music therapist. Leida
had asked for a bedside blessing for Kevin,
with a musical accompaniment in Spanish,
her native language. “I was honored to be
able to help,” said Deborah. “I sang ‘Pescador
de Hombres,’ and I could tell it spoke to her
on a very deep level to be able to have this
beautiful experience with her son along with
a song that’s rooted in their faith and their
language.”
“It really has meant a lot to have these
memories with Kevin,” said Leida. “For almost
15 years now, my family and I have gotten
care here that I know we couldn’t have gotten
anywhere else. I truly don’t know where we’d
be without the Pediatric Center today.”
The Hummingbird Effect: We Change Lives
Yaquelin’s Story:
She’s back in New York and closer to her family
Today, Yaquelin is almost 7-years-old. For many
parents, this might not be considered a significant
milestone, but, for Gisela Alonso, each day that
her daughter has is a reason to celebrate.
“I was told that she wouldn’t live past the age
of two,” said Gisela, describing her daughter
who was born with a rare genetic disorder.
Yaquelin’s fragile and complex condition
necessitated countless inpatient stays and
outpatient treatments, as well as cardiac
surgery, hip surgery and a tracheostomy and
gastrostomy placement all
before the age of one.
Shortly after, Yaquelin contracted pneumonia
and Gisela was told that her daughter would
need to be placed on ventilator support.
When Yaquelin couldn’t be weaned from
the ventilator, she was transferred from an
acute rehabilitation setting to a long-term
care facility that was out of state and far
from Gisela’s hometown of Queens. “It was
a difficult few years,” Gisela explained.
“I felt like we kept receiving more and more
bad news. I also had a newborn and an
entire family to care for, which made it hard
for us to be with Yaquelin as often as we
wanted to,” she said. “It was my faith that
kept me strong.”
In July of 2011, Yaquelin was
admitted to the Elizabeth Seton
Pediatric Center, which, at the
time, was located in Manhattan.
“I felt comforted and relieved to
finally be so close to her,” said
Gisela. “Prior to her being at the
Pediatric Center, we were never
able to all be together as a family.
Now, the whole family can come
and visit!”
“Yaquelin’s family comes by often
and they also attend many of our
special events, like our annual
Family Holiday Party, Block Party
and Family Portrait Day,” said
Frankie Diaz, a Certified Thera-
peutic Recreation Specialist. “It’s
so beautiful to see them visit.
They cuddle her, talk and laugh
with her; they just have a good
time. When I see Yaquelin and
her family, it’s as if they’re all just
spending time in their family living
room together,” Frankie said.
“If she can’t be in my home, then
I know that this is the best place
she can be,” Gisela said. “It’s
hard, as a mother, to leave your
child in the care of someone else
but I know that Yaquelin is receiving the best medical attention
possible and that she is loved
and she is happy.”
“It’s hard, as a mother, to leave your child in the
care of someone else but I know that Yaquelin is
receiving the best medical attention possible and
that she is loved and she is happy.”
Gisela Alonso, Yaquelin’s Mom
The Hummingbird Effect: Be Part of the Change
Compassion in Action
Lamaya’s Story:
Help us bring Lamaya home
Can you imagine the
heartache of having a child
who has to reside hours
away from you in a different state to receive the
medical care necessary
to live? That’s been the
case for Sylvia Arzola,
whose daughter, Lamaya,
is currently being cared
for in New Jersey, far
from her family’s home
in the Bronx.
Lamaya has required a
ventilator since October of
2008, when she was just a
1-year-old, and has been
on the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center’s Long-Term
Ventilator Care Program
waiting list since January
of 2012. When we open
the doors to our 32-bed
addition for ventilatordependent children in
early 2017, Lamaya will be
the first child we admit.
“I’m just so excited,” said
Sylvia. “It’s been so tough
for us to work around
the constraints we have
with transportation and
needing to take time off
from our jobs to head out
to Jersey to see her,” she
continued, “but, that won’t
be the case when she’s
in Yonkers.”
“When I spoke with
Lamaya’s mother [to tell
her Lamaya would be
receiving placement at the
Pediatric Center], I could
feel her smile across the
lines of our phones!” said
Margie Rodriguez, the
Elizabeth Seton Pediatric
Center’s Director of Continuity of Care/Admissions.
“Being able to provide
a family, like Lamaya’s,
with that sense of relief is
the best part of my job,”
Margie said.
“We’ve been waiting for
this for a really long time.
I can’t wait for her to be
closer so that we can be
with her anytime we want
to,” Sylvia said.
But it’s not just the promise
of being in closer proximity
to their daughter that has
drawn Sylvia and her family
to the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. “Each time my
family and I have come to
tour the facility, we’ve been
so impressed by the way
the staff members care
for the children and the
environment and the space
in which they have to do
so,” she said. “This place is
more like a home and less
like a hospital. I know my
daughter will be comfortable
and happy here.”
“We’ve been waiting for this for a really long
time. I can’t wait for her to be closer so that we
can be with her anytime we want to.”
Sylvia Arzola, Lamaya’s Mom
“All of our work and all of our lives
are motivated around responding to
those in need, especially when no
one else is helping.”
Sr. Maria Iglesias, S.C., Pastoral
Care Coordinator at the Elizabeth
Seton Pediatric Center
“We want our children to get the
chance to just be kids—kids who
can play and laugh and also feel
safe and comfortable. These are
not just children we take care of …
they’re children we care for.”
Dr. Joann Galley, Director of
School Psychological Services
at the John A. Coleman School
“We help our students explore the
world around them and we show
them love. And you know what
happens? They grow. Maybe it
doesn’t show up on a test or an
exam, but when they share in a new
experience or reciprocate our
tenderness … that’s how we know.”
Allie Maloney, Teacher at the
John A. Coleman School
Expanding Our
Yonkers Campus
The Hummingbird Campaign will make the
Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center the largest
provider of pediatric ventilator care in
New York State.
Here’s our expansion, by the numbers …
26,000-square-feet of new construction
8,589-square-feet of renovated space
EXISTING
BUILDING
New rooms and spaces will be added
and renovated including, but not limited to, eight
resident rooms (that will accommodate four
residents in each), two neighborhood family
play areas, two Snoezelen rooms, two resource
libraries, a Physical Therapy Center, an Adaptive
Equipment Center and classrooms in the
John A. Coleman School
109 new employees will be hired,
NEW
BUILDING
ADDITION
including registered nurses (RNs), certified
nursing assistants (CNAs), respiratory therapists,
a physician, a nurse practitioner, physical,
occupational and speech therapists, a social
worker, teachers, assistant teachers and
paraprofessionals, Creative Arts therapists
and recreation therapists
The outside of our campus will continue
to grow with the addition of a butterfly garden,
hummingbird garden and an outdoor playground
Welcome Home!
Located on a bucolic 6.5 acres, our
facility provides our residents with
easy access to fresh air, trees, flowers
and green grass. Inside, our children
live in “neighborhoods,” not units,
and we build play and fun into each
day with games, celebrations and
frequent opportunities to interact with
others. At the Pediatric Center, we
offer our children, their families and
their caregivers access to numerous outdoor and indoor recreational
spaces including two playgrounds, a
pizza garden, rose garden, nature trail
and sound garden, a “Space Voyage
Room,” hydrotherapy suite, art room
and music room.
Our staff members strive to provide
all of our residents with as many
normalized childhood experiences as
possible. We recognize that providing
these childhood experiences is part of
providing a home-like environment; it
gives our residents the chance to just
be kids.
Our Continuum of Care provides specialized medical, educational and therapeutic services to
over 5,000 medically complex children each year where and when they need them the most
where good beginnings never end
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of New York
www.setonpediatric.org
St. Elizabeth Seton Children’s Foundation
300 Corporate Boulevard South, Yonkers, N.Y. 10701