BC Children's Heart Centre - Echocardiography

This hospital has been nothing but amazing.I’ve gone to their ed countless times and EVERY single time they have treated my pain, listened to me, never dismissed me or my concerns, understood why i was scared or worried and the nurses/drs would explain what’s happening and sometimes get childlife to discuss with me aswell, they set me up with specialist or consulted my drs for advice on the treatment, and have given me the best care, never letting me leave without a plan in place. I’ve had an undiagnosed autoimmune disease for over 3.5 years and their drs were the ones to diagnose and treat me. The specialist have all been amazing especially the paediatric clinic they’ve listened and been great at organizing and informing all my specialists of new symptoms or medications and making sure i’m still on different specialist radar waiting to be seen and making plans in the meantime. They listened and took my pain and experience seriously, teaching students how to be compassionate and kind about complicated situations even if they’re unsure of what’s going on. They’ve admitted me to find out what’s wrong instead of just sending me home. They’ve diagnosed things i’ve had for years that no one else took seriously, the drs have listened and have taken a trauma informed approach knowing how much medical gaslighting and traumatic experiences i’ve had in the past, the nurses have advocated for me, and everyone has treated me with respect and kindness even when i was upset and frustrated. They’ve helped make everything less traumatic taking time to explain, listen to me and understand how this affects me and my life, set me up with different supports and people to make sure i was okay, they’ve set plans in place to make every procedure or appointment as good as an experience possible. Truly the best hospital i’ve ever been to, there’s not enough words in the world to describe how grateful i am for this hospital and their staff. Truly Thank you bcch!!

Rethinking Pediatric Emergency Care Last night we took our 4 year old to BC Children's Hospital after she vomited more than 20 times and could not keep water or electrolytes down. We arrived at 12:30 am. She continued vomiting in the waiting room, weak and exhausted. There were only about five children waiting. First treatment came around 4:30 am. A doctor saw her at 7:00 am. We left at 7:30 am. I want to be very clear. The doctors and staff were kind, attentive and professional. The people are incredible. This is not a criticism of those working on the ground. But it does raise a bigger question. When a small child is that sick in the middle of the night, sitting on a chair for hours, and the waiting room is not even full, can we confidently call this emergency care? Our healthcare workers are doing their best inside a structure that seems stretched and reactive. Maybe the opportunity is to rethink the flow, triage and communication. Could there be real time updates to families so children can rest more comfortably? A way to design the journey so it is more patient centered, especially for kids? The infrastructure and the professionals are top level. The system itself needs fresh rethinking. I am not angry. I am hopeful. Hopeful that we can study the process, question it with empathy, and design something better for families who walk in scared in the middle of the night with a sick child in their arms.

I arrived at the children’s hospital at 8:00 p.m., and it is now almost 7:00 a.m. We are still waiting to see a doctor. This is a children’s hospital. Every patient here is a child, from infants to teenagers. Children are our future, and it is difficult to understand why they must experience such long waits in a country like Canada. I recognize that our healthcare system is under significant strain. I understand there are staffing shortages and limited resources. However, when it comes to children’s care, it is worth asking whether more support and prioritization are needed to ensure children’s hospitals can operate more smoothly. I have seen comments online suggesting that some families feel their concerns are not always fully heard. I do not believe this reflects a lack of care from nurses or doctors. Healthcare workers are doing their best under extremely challenging conditions, often while exhausted and overburdened. The issue is not with frontline staff. It is a broader systemic challenge that deserves serious attention and thoughtful solutions at the policy level. For those who see this, please consider sharing so that more Canadians are aware of what families are experiencing. If you have children, you may one day find yourself in this position if conditions do not improve. If you do not have children, these patients still represent the future of our country, and their well-being affects us all. “A society that puts children first is investing in the future. A society that puts the elderly first is preserving the past.” I hope we can continue to have respectful, constructive conversations about how to strengthen children’s healthcare in Canada