Comforts of Home

After their son spent seven days at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Jenny and Bill Kiesel wanted to give back. Eight-month-old Will had a viral infection, which led to a high fever and febrile seizures. The Lakeland, Tenn., family was so grateful for the doctors and nurses who helped Will get better, they were moved to action.

One of the things Jenny noticed while in the Infant Care Unit was not every room had a rocking chair – an important piece of furniture for new moms.

“There just wasn’t a good place to sit, and there wasn’t a place to rock or feed Will very easily because there were no chairs,” Kiesel said. “We were here for seven days, and all the nurses were so accommodating, and they helped calm our nerves. They were helpful in making sure we had what we needed.”

The Germantown High School teacher rallied her students to meet the non-medical needs of children and families in the hospital’s Infant Care Unit. The students in the Science National Honor Society used their annual service project to donate funds so Le Bonheur could purchase additional rocking chairs. They partnered with Holiday Deli & Ham restaurant in Germantown and hosted spirit day activities to raise more than $6,400.

Now, every room in the Infant Care Unit has a rocking chair, and the extras were distributed throughout the hospital. Each chair is crafted from specialized, non-porous resin, which makes for easier cleaning and disinfecting. The rocking chairs, Kiesel added, help make a difficult time for families a little bit easier.

“It’s been amazing to see the impact the chairs have made,” Kiesel said. “It seems like a little thing, but when you’re thrown into that unexpected situation, any little comfort helps. Just being able to rock your baby makes a huge difference, especially when they aren’t feeling their best.”

The students will continue their efforts to support Le Bonheur this school year. Their funds will continue to help meet the non-medical needs of patients, including mobiles and high chairs.