Managing Pain So She Can Live Her Dreams

John Kelly of the Washington Post reports today on the Pain Medicine Care Complex, part of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. Eliminating pain in children is one of the core priorities for the Sheikh Zayed Institute, which was created in 2009 by a historic $150 million gift from the Government of Abu Dhabi. Kelly tells the story of 15-year-old Molly, who has chronic pain so bad that she's missed a year of school. Her mother is optimistic about her condition, especially with the support she's getting at Children's National. “Despair doesn’t get you anywhere," she said. "Our goal is to get her to live her dreams, whatever they end up being, and not be stuck in this. We’re determined to get her there. She’s as determined to get there.” The Pain Medicine Care Complex provides a comprehensive range of innovative services, including video gaming therapy, holistic therapeutic tools, and digital data collection to measure and manage pain in children. Read "For Some Young Patients at Children's National, Pain is an All-Too-Familiar Companion." Support the Washington Post Campaign at childrensnational.org/washingtonpost.