The Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy Family Support Program is dedicated to caring for, serving, and lightening the burden for patients and families in the Duke Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy (PTCT) community through a comprehensive array of services. Most importantly, our services are available to all transplant families. Although we are not part of the medical staff, we work closely and consistently with the entire transplant team.
We hope that our services and programs help meet each family's unique needs as they go through the transplant process. The following is a testimonial from a patient family who found different aspects of the Duke PTCT Family Support helpful along the way.
The Purchase Family
Being on 4A was a wonderful experience for our family. We were truly encouraged by the Family Support Program. During such a difficult season, full of highs and lows, the team from Family Support was a calming and constant reinforcement for us. The Connection Room was a gift because we were able to do laundry, have playtime with friends, and enjoy special snacks from Trey’s Pantry. The popsicles were Walker’s go-to when feeling blue. They also made the Fourth of July extra special for Mommy and Walker. Walker thought the blue was scrumptious and Mommy thought the red one was delicious. Plus, we were provided red, white, and blue decorations while we celebrated watching the fireworks on the television.
If you were to ask what Walker’s favorite thing about 4A was, he would say BINGO Thursdays! He looked forward to playing and listening to the charming ladies sing silly BINGO songs to lift his spirits. The prizes were an extra bonus we were not expecting. Another program we enjoyed and helped us on getting out of the hospital faster was the Steps to Recovery program. What a blast Walker had walking, driving, and doing remote control cars around the halls. He still wears all of his feet and the special gold medal that he earned. The Fitbit is a gift he is excited to show his brothers when they come back home from being out of state next week.
The Community Meals were a nice change of food options on 4A. We are thankful our homeschool group (Classical Conversation in Apex) helped provide meals one time. Hopefully, our homeschool group can continue this in the future as it has been placed on our hearts to help feed the families on 4A.
All of the fun H.E.A.R.T.S Club goodies from the tote bag have come to good use by our family. We even had a chance to go to Hillandale and ride around on Big Red. Hillandale gave Walker a H.E.A.R.T.S t-shirt and a pen to sign Big Red with the day we visited.
Overall, we can not say enough about the love Family Support gave us. I will always remember the ladies being there for me when I had a heavy heart. I needed a shoulder to cry on while doing laundry one late afternoon.
I felt like I could be myself and be real with all of the Family Support Team.
-Chelsey Purchase, Walker’s Mom