Children's Hospitals Today - Spring 2022 - 32

VITALS / THRIVING
Finding care in a crisis
Obsessive-compulsive disorder manifested through suicidality
meant time wasn't an option for this patient.
BY GRANT HEIMAN
the COVID-19 pandemic sent them home to return to weekly
psychiatry sessions. " It just wasn't enough, so he got back on
the wait list for the IOP at Seattle Children's, " says Stephanie.
Eventually, availability opened, and he started the virtual
10-week long sessions.
Three hours a day, four days a week, Xander and one of
his parents would go through exposure response therapy.
This system trains the parents to help kids and families
understand and process OCD, by exposing them to thoughts,
images and situations that may act as a trigger.
This can be difficult for everyone involved, especially the
patient. However, virtual care meant Xander and his family
were doing this in their own space, which added another
layer of comfort and required less transition.
Stephanie now advocates for virtual care at the state and
When Xander was diagnosed with OCD and depression, finding
behavioral health care proved difficult.
X
ander is affectionately known as a " righteous introvert, "
by his family. He's always standing up for his peers,
animals and social justice issues. However, in third grade he
became more introverted and developed intense headaches
in addition to struggling with school and peer interactions.
Xander was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD) and depression. " We immediately started
seeing a counselor and started him on a low-dose antidepressant, "
says Stephanie Simpson, Xander's mother. " He actually
got worse before things got better. "
One of Xander's compulsions was suicidal thoughts. Unlike
other kids with suicide ideation, Xander's compulsions never
ebbed and flowed. They remained constant. He was quickly
evaluated for the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at
Seattle Children's, but the wait lists were long. " My 10-yearold
was in the peak of a horrific crisis, and sending him away
on his own for an inpatient program was not an option for
us, " says Stephanie.
Time was of the essence. At the start of 2020, Xander
and his dad went to a partial hospitalization program in
California. However, he was only there for a month when
federal levels. " These virtual programs expand access across
the board, " says Stephanie. " Kids in rural Washington or
those without as many resources can still take part in this
program. " She says it's proven to be beneficial and part of
the reason Xander's doing so well a year out. " But to have a
child with that level of mental illness was extremely taxing
on our family. "
In addition to all the other concerns, having a 10-yearold
facing suicidal thoughts was isolating for them. " We
don't give enough credit to families for how hard it is to go
through mental health treatment. I want us to get to a point
in awareness and understanding where we start bringing
casseroles to families whose kids are in mental health
treatment, just like we would for children undergoing any
other medical care, " says Stephanie.
This crisis has ultimately brought Xander and his family
closer together, made them more comfortable talking
about behavioral health concerns, and now they are more
transparent with one another. They even had a party
recently to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Xander's
IOP completion. While Xander still manages his mental
health through medicine and therapy, the program at Seattle
Children's helped him to get to a point where it's no longer
debilitating, or even noticeable. " He was at such a horrific
level of distress, " says Stephanie. " We never actually thought
this would be feasible. "
Tell us an amazing patient story. Email magazine@childrenshospitals.org.
32
CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS TODAY Spring 2022
Children's Hospitals Today - Spring 2022

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