[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              WALL OF HOPE

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 13, 2012

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, although the newborn babies at Texas 
Children's Hospital are being cared for by high quality, experienced 
doctors, this does not ease the emotions that the parents are 
experiencing.
   Their delicate newborn child is being examined, poked at, and 
operated on. As they sit there helplessly, the parents are given 
updates on their baby's complications and, consequently, their low odds 
of survival.
   When the only news these parents hear is bad, it is difficult to 
remain hopeful. The environment created in the Neonatal Intensive Care 
Unit, NICU, is disheartening. Nevertheless, Texas Children's Hospital 
has found a way to inspire a light of hope for these parents and 
families.
   The center's Family Advisory Committee has created a ``Wall of 
Hope'' to encourage families that have a baby staying in the NICU.
   This wall presents pictures of the hospital's ``miracle babies'' and 
includes a writing of their unique stories. For future parents at the 
NICU, instead of pacing up and down the hallway worrying, they can now 
read success stories and hope that their child will be one of them, 
too.
   Hope can provide a sense of strength. And for these parents, hope is 
the only thing that makes the situation bearable. To know that others 
have been in similar situations and now have beautiful, healthy 
children that survived against all odds.
   And that's just the way it is.

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