“We are still in awe that this team of heroes provided care without ever letting on that, elsewhere in the ED, they were fighting COVID-19. Our hearts are grateful.”
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, our 10-year-old son, Justin, was struck by a car while riding his bicycle,” says Kelly DeLeon of Manchester. “As parents, we were scared not only by the extent of our son’s injuries, but by the prospect of taking him into an emergency room in the midst of an unprecedented health crisis.”
Knowing the excellent reputation of MMCSC, the DeLeons insisted that the EMS driver take Justin there. “Our Emergency Department offers a child-friendly pediatric designated treatment area for children,” explains Jen Lees, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Director, Emergency Care Services.
At the hospital, Justin’s parents saw that every precaution had been taken. “We have a triage tent outside, where patients are quickly screened, and if suspected for COVID-19, led to a designated treatment area,” says Lees. “From the moment we arrived, each professional treated Justin as if he were their only patient,” Kelly recalls.
“The registrars, Veronica and Johan, took the time to turn on Cartoon Network for him. The ED tech, Lucy, calmly spoke with us, with a soothing smile under her mask. Shannon, a nurse practitioner, gently cleaned Justin’s wounds. One of the registered nurses, Victoria, and Dr. Sree Raja kept us updated.
Another nurse, Sara, checked in on Justin often and brought him graham crackers and orange juice.” Justin was promptly taken for X-rays, and it was determined that he had a fractured tibia. Surgeon Christos Plakas, MD, the consulting pediatric orthopedist on call, came to treat Justin and cast his fractured tibia. “We are still in awe that this team of heroes provided care without ever letting on that, elsewhere in the ED, they were fighting COVID-19,” Kelly says. “Our hearts are grateful.”