The Purpose of My Passion

The purpose of my passion is to create a nonprofit organization to raise an endowment for the department of pediatric psychiatry at Phoenix Childrens' Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

In the US 3.4 million children are DIAGNOSED with depression. How many are undiagnosed? It is believed that one third of these children may be experiencing early onset of bipolar disorder. Seven percent of children seen in psychiatric facilities fit the criteria for bipolar disorder. Depression typically coexists with other disorders like ADD/ADHD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and others.

This department lacks an endowment compared with the better advertised, better funded, foundation supported specialties for childhood cancer, blood disorders, autism (which comes under psychiatry and neuroscience but has its own foundation Autism Speaks, which is awesome!).

My children are under the care of a fabulous psychiatrist at Phoenix Children's' Hospital. When my children were hospitalized there were nine pediatric psychiatrists, now there are three on faculty.

In addition, due to lack of funding for this department there are no support services like child and family therapy on site. A list is handed to you to find the necessary therapist to adjunct the medical treatment of the disorders.

This is time consuming, unnerving, and anxiety producing. Once you select a therapist for your children, will they be helpful or harmful? The hospital has ONE, her waiting list is a year.

How wonderful it would be to have a comprehensive care unit on one campus for all family members for doctor visits, lab work, child therapy, family therapy and education for the illnesses no one discusses at the playground or PTO meeting.

Child Oncology gets these services because they have an endowment.

Another very important fact: Phoenix Children's Hospital is the only hospital in the STATE of Arizona with a dedicated pediatric psychiatry unit.

If there unit is full when a child is in crisis they have to go to a hospital with an adult psyche unit. Too scary for me! I have been fortunate. I am a loud advocate for my children.

At my first child's discharge after a week long stay, I was told to make a follow up visit with a psychiatrist within a week. Well, the hospital psychiatrists were booked one month out. I was given a list. Every private psychiatrist office I called was going to repeat the assessment and would accept cash only of $500.00.

I called my insurance company and complained. I explained that I wanted to stay with Phoenix Children's' for continuity of care and requested an extension for the follow up visit. Thankfully, it was approved and my children are both under the care of Phoenix Children's' Hospital department of psychiatry.

I could go on and on, about health insurance, mood disorders, cost of illness to my family and the wonderful people in the department of psychiatry at PCH.

'Til next time,
Robbin and Mom