EPCH: Child Life Specialist Program strives to make a difference in patients’ lives

El Paso Children’s Hopsital’s Child Life Program is making a significant difference in the way patients deal with day-to-day complications.

“We help kids understand what they are experiencing, what they see, hear and feel while they are in the hospital,” said Lead Child Life Specialist Meghan Kamu. “Sometimes our interaction with the kids is five minutes, sometimes it’s four hours and sometimes it’s all day.”

The program gives patients choices on things they want to do, something that necessarily isn’t warranted when getting specific treatment.

ABC-7 had the privilege of meeting a special girl who has made a special connection with the staff working in Child Life.

Seventeen-year-old Eunice Mota has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Mota began her fight against cancer in Juarez. “I had chemotherapy and radiation and the cancer went away,” Mota said, “but since I had so much radiation it hurt my intestines.” Doctors in Juarez said nothing else could be done and were fearful Mota may die.

Her family began searching for other options and that’s when they found the El Paso Children’s Hospital. “When we stepped into this hospital we knew there was help,” family friend Delia Quiroz said.

It took some time for Mota to accept the Child Life Program. However they are now almost inseparable. Mota says she and the specialits do arts and crafts to decorate the walls in her room along with other activities.

“It has been really exciting and an awesome time to see this hospital come together to make it happen for this patient,” Kamu said.

Since getting treatment at Children’s, hospital employees say Mota is having more better days than worse days.

“In good days and in bad days they are always there with me,” Mota said. “[The hospital staff and] my family, they take care of me. The nurses they love me and I love them too.”