Children's Hospitals Today - Summer 2022 - 26

VITALS MEET A MEMBER
Amanda Ammons
makes videos with
Van, the facility dog
at Children's Health.
videos provided a way for the
kids to spend time with Van,
but it also empowered them by
teaching coping skills or other
activities, " she says. The video
series has extended beyond the
height of the pandemic and Van's
recent passing, as they play on
the hospital's TV network and
are used by teams across the
organization as an educational
resource.
Bringing
purpose back
to work
Recommitting to her
mission helps a child life
specialist stay inspired.
BY GRANT HEIMAN
AMANDA AMMONS, a child life
specialist at Children's Health in
Dallas, learned about the child
life profession at a career day in
high school. " I've never looked
back, " says Ammons. " This was
what I wanted-it's a mix of all
my passions, and at the heart
of it is helping children cope
with difficult things. " Eleven
years into her career, Ammons
received the Children's Miracle
Network's Child Life Specialist
of the Year award.
LIMITATIONS LEAD TO
INNOVATION. Throughout the
COVID-19 pandemic Ammons
found ways to connect with kids
despite limits on in-person
interaction. Ammons created
" Van Videos, " with the help of
the in-house production team at
Children's Health, to share with
kids across the organization.
The videos feature Van, Ammon's
facility dog, as he goes on
scavenger hunts, takes nature
walks or reads a story. " The
LESSONS LEARNED. Ammons
adapts her approach for each
patient. " The job is a true honor, "
she says. " My goal is to learn
from every patient. " One case
involved a child who was injured
in a car accident that resulted in
the loss of a primary caregiver.
Over the next several months,
Ammons worked with the patient
to process and heal from the
trauma. " No child copes the
same, and it's our job to meet
them where they're at, " she says.
" The beauty and the resiliency
of children is that they can go
through something scary and still
come out at the end with joy. "
AVOIDING BURNOUT. Despite
intense days, Ammons stays
committed to a broader purpose.
" Staying resilient, for me, is
about bringing it back to that
purpose of supporting patients
and families, " she says. " I stay
centered on helping them cope
with things they never thought
they would be dealing with. "
Know someone we should
meet? Email magazine@
childrenshospitals.org.
26
CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS TODAY Summer 2022
Photo courtesy of Children's Health
Children's Hospitals Today - Summer 2022

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