by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
The Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation announced a $1.6 million pledge to UNM Hospital on Friday to build an inpatient children's wing and surgical suite in the Bill and Barbara Richardson Pavilion.
The donation demonstrates commitment to patients and their families, said Don Blanton, president of the foundation's board of directors.
"It's our outward show of support for them," he said. "A lot of the people we deal with are below the poverty level."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Carrie Tingley Hospital opened in 1937 as a treatment center for children with polio. Over the years, it has become a full-service hospital for New Mexico children, most from poor families.
The hospital is not equipped for surgery, and children in need of an operation are transported to UNM Hospital. After surgery, they go back to Carrie Tingley Hospital for post-surgery treatment.
With an inpatient unit, the process will be easier for patients because they won't have to go back and forth, said Nancy Kosik, executive director for the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation.
Sick children have enough on their minds, Kosik said.
"You're going to have surgery. You have all this anticipation. It's got to make a difference," she said. "It's going to eliminate all the movement."
Children will have a more pleasant experience in the specialized wing, said Barbara Richardson, first lady of New Mexico.
"It will be a place for children and their families to go," she said. "It helps them forget
a little."
Interaction with other kids and parental support will improve a child's condition, Richardson said.
"It's a great idea. Kids can escape a little bit and be with other kids," she said. "It all contributes to their well-being and their recovery."
Kosik said the new wing will help the hospital provide better care for children.
"This is like a dream come true - to have this facility for the inpatient care," she said. "That makes a difference, not only for the children, but for their families."
