After a school bus accident hospitalized four small children with serious injuries Wednesday evening, doctors reunited them with their families as quickly as possible.
“When they come here for a trauma, they are usually separated from their parents,” said Kristen Johnson, child life specialist with the Johns Hopkins Children?s Hospital Center in Baltimore. “We do the best that we can to encourage contact with the parents as soon as possible. When the parent comes with the child, we do the best we can to keep them in the same room.”
Hospital staff declined comment on the injuries sustained by four children flown to the center from the accident site in Dundalk. Fire and rescue officials told WJZ-TV that one of the children, whose age was between 8 and 10 years, was released Thursday.
The Examiner reported Wednesday that an 8-year-old girl?s hand was severed in the crash.
Rich Gardiner, a spokesman for Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS, said 53 people with minor injuries were taken to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace, Union Hospital in Elkton, Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore and Christina Hospital in Newark, Del.
Maryland State Police troopers escorted two other buses in the convoy back to Philadelphia to speak with parents about the accident.
Children?s Hospital Center treats 26,000 patients a year, for problems including chronic conditions as well as serious injuries.
Family connections have been shown to improve patient progress, Johnson said. Parents are the best judge of what an injured child can comprehend and whether their behavior is normal. “Small children sometimes have a hard time talking about a difficult situation” or even telling doctors what hurts, she said.
Hospital staff encourage parents to be honest with their children about what has happened, and Johnson tries to make sure parents understand the facts themselves. “Sometimes it can be hard for parents to be in the same room, but they usually recognize the child?s need for them to be in the room.”
They sometimes make crayons and paper available, she said, as drawing pictures can help a child come to grips with trauma. They also try to sit and talk with families if desired, though actual clinical counseling is not always necessary, Johnson said.
