Nothing like good ol’ hometown care

Jessica Coleman, Staff Writer -  Jackson County Herald-Tribune
   My daughter Georgia (age 7), bless her little heart, has her mother's grace, and the scars to prove it. 
   Last week, we spent two days in a row in separate emergency rooms for separate incidents. Tuesday night in another county, she played a little too rough with a friend's dog and caught a tooth in the lip, requiring three stitches. Wednesday, her school called me and said I needed to take her to the hospital because she closed a door on her fingers and smashed them pretty badly. It's been exhausting and terrifying for us both.
   Now, please don't misunderstand, the staff at the other hospital was wonderful. The experience wasn't bad (relatively speaking, of course. I suppose the circumstances that land us in emergency rooms are  usually negative in nature).  They were nice people, and kind to Georgia, and their bedside manner was good. They did nothing wrong at all.
   However, on Jan. 12, we went to Jackson County Hospital with her mangled fingers, and the staff was amazing. They had my daughter giggling and laughing and gasping as she looked at her x-rays. They explained everything they were doing in a way that not only informed her, but sparked her interest enough to distract from the panic and pain. 
   My seven year old daughter sat there covered in blood on a hospital bed and laughed. She loved seeing her bones on the x-ray. 
   Meghan Chiles, David Garcia, Theresa Huggins, Royce Hudgeons, and Dr. James McCrary all went above and beyond our expectations for care. Everyone was fantastic.  My baby girl, who had recently acquired a fear of doctors and hospitals, suddenly realized that doctors and nurses help people.
   I am so proud to call Jackson County home, and I am so grateful to have a hospital with staff that is compassionate and genuine. 
   Miss Georgia's fingers will be fine, and her lip will heal (leaving what is sure to be a super cool scar), and perhaps more importantly, she understands that hospitals and the medical professionals inside them are people who help and heal, not hurt. For one little girl, that made not only a difference in her day, but probably how she experiences visits to doctors for the rest of her life. 
   This mama is really grateful we have such compassionate people right here under our noses in Jackson County.
 
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