WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A child in the hospital is tough for doctors, nurses and especially for the parents. That's why the Palm Beach Children's Hospital decided to make renovations to its facility, specifically the surgical floor, to make kids and their parents as comfortable as possible.
Erika Frazer experienced it firsthand. When her 7-year-old son Jack was diagnosed with Intestinal Mal Rotation, he needed surgery right away. She, her husband, and Jack spent nearly a month living at Palm Beach Children's Hospital.
"One of us was always here. We switched nights, me and my husband," she says. "I honestly don't think I could be anywhere better."
Frazer says the newly-renovated surgical floor, filled with bright colors and a relaxing beach theme, made a difference in their experience and Jack's recovery. "I believe color brings life. The rooms, the hallways are bright," she said.
"The idea behind that (renovation) is to really provide family centered care," said assistant administrator Lisa Rocheleau.
She says the 8-month renovation transformed the playroom and made rooms bigger. The floor went from 24 rooms to 20 so they could add suites.
The suites have refrigerators and a couch that turns into a bed.
The rooms also have special designations, like the 'wave' room or 'starfish' to make them more memorable.
The playroom is also bigger to better accommodate children in wheelchairs and with other medical equipment.
It's all about making the families more comfortable during the hardest and most stressful times.
Jack's favorite part of his recovery? The X-box in every room. "My child has never played X-box, by the time we got out he's a pro. He's already asking for one, yes. So we're gonna have to ask Santa about that," Frazer said.
The new floor cost almost $4 million to renovate and it reopened in May.
