“Noah needed to have a needle biopsy done on a small mass in his neck,” says his mother, Kara Taguchi. “But based on a past experience with sedation medication, he really didn’t want to have it again. He wanted to be able to go home right away after the procedure, and if he’d had sedation he would have had to stay at the hospital for a few hours.” The request was certainly outside of standard operating procedures. While Adrienne Feilden, Child Life Specialist, occupied Noah in the pediatrics unit playroom, his Special Procedures nurse, Renee Castro, convinced the physician in charge, Interventional Radiologist Dr. John Belleville, to accommodate the unusual request.  Noah watched cartoons on his dad's phone for distraction and the procedure was performed successfully without any sedation.

That was nearly a year ago. This month, Noah came back to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital with his family ---not as a patient, but as a donor. “Noah’s mom, Kara, told me the day of his procedure that Noah had donated toys to another organization on his last birthday, and asked what needs we had to continue to aid in distraction, play and coping for our pediatric patients,” says Adrienne. A little less than a year later, Kara contacted Adrienne to let her know that Noah had decided that he would ask family and friends to donate toys and other goods to fulfill a wishlist for Fountain Valley's playroom instead of giving him gifts for his 6th birthday. 

 On June 17, Noah’s parents brought him back to the hospital to present a huge load of toys that he hopes will comfort other children during their time at the hospital. “I was amazed at Noah's ability to demonstrate true empathy at such a young age,” says Adrienne. “He explained his act of kindness with a smile as if it was ‘no big deal,’ and by talking about his own fun memories in our playroom. In talking with him, you are truly able to tell that the generosity did come from his own heart.” Noah's dad, John Andrunas says Noah also spent some of his own savings to personally select items from the playroom's wishlist to add to the toys collected. 

“Noah’s story is a remarkable example of an act of kindness by someone so young, in response to his own experience,” notes Adrienne. “It is also a testament to his parents' perspective on parenting, and allowing their son such a teachable experience that will, I am sure, promote further acts of selflessness later in his life. All of our staff, along with his parents, are so proud of him.”

 Fountain Valley Hospital is the only hospital in the city and neighboring Huntington Beach to offer residents a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Kids can receive expert medical care close to home, without family and friends having to travel far from home and in most cases, without the need to have the child transferred to another facility for specialized care. In addition to being staffed by pediatric hospitalists and intensivists who coordinate all aspects of inpatient pediatric stays, the hospital offers the services of a Child Life Specialist. This unique professional works at the bedside and in playrooms to help kids a have positive experience during their hospital stay. She promotes effective coping through play, preparation, education and self-expression activities. The specialist provides emotional support for families and children facing a broad range of challenging experiences related to hospitalization. In addition to creative and therapeutic activities for inpatient children, the Child Life Specialist actively helps patients and families prepare for surgery and procedures by meeting with families, conducting hospital tours, and explaining the upcoming procedures using dolls and terms children can understand.

For more information about Fountain Valley Regional Hospital’s pediatric services, call (714) 979-1408 or visit www.fountainvalleyhospital.com.