The following excerpt was provided by Karen Swartz. Karen Swartz, CCLS, is a certified child life specialist in the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. She serves Team IMPACT’s Medical Advisory Board and recently shared how Team IMPACT can offer motivation, support and fun to improve quality of life for children with CF and their families.
I was fortunate to learn about Team IMPACT when it was still in the process of being formed. As a board member of a regional child life group, I was asked to provide input and expertise in working with children in the hospital and how Team IMPACT could benefit our patients. My first instinct was to protect the athletes. When these athletes chose to play in college they didn’t sign up for this experience. I asked questions of how athletes would be prepared and supported and how families could create relationships and manage healthy boundaries with the players. I then attended my first Team IMPACT Gala, sat with a family, and heard athletes and parents speak about their personal experiences and the “IMPACT” this program was having. It is more about one of my patients attending a game and saying hi to the players. It is having a team in your corner, lifting not only you but your whole family up, providing support, and cheering you on. For the players, it is learning that there is a world beyond the game, they learn empathy and a new definition for the word teammate.
“It is [about] having a team in your corner.”
-Karen Swartz, Child Life Specialist
Living with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) can be challenging both physically and emotionally. CF patients often feel isolated as the only ones who truly understand what they are experiencing are others with CF. To maintain their health, they must keep a distance of at least 6 feet from those who understand the struggles of chest PT, meeting caloric intake, and taking endless medications. This isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness and despair. That’s where Team IMPACT comes in. While they may not fully understand what it’s like to live with CF, these new teammates can offer motivation, support, and fun to make their daily battles a little easier.