It’s not every day you see pandas in downtown Fargo, North Dakota.
But recently, the Panda Express mascot and the charity arm of a restaurant group called Panda Cares came together to celebrate the opening of a new room at the Sanford Traumatic Stress Treatment Center and the Sanford Child Care (Child Abuse Referral and Evaluation) Clinic. Appeared.
“It’s really encouraging when you can rely on community and leadership and organizations to support what you’re doing,” said Dr. Nicola Harting, a pediatric psychologist at Sanford Fargo. “This is really difficult work, and we can’t do it alone. We need that support, and we need to be able to provide these spaces, tools, and resources to move forward with our work.”
A long-awaited rest space
The new, purpose-built Panda Cares Center of Hope will provide a safe haven for children who have experienced intense trauma, from physical and sexual abuse to neglect and the traumatic loss of a loved one. . The new space can play an important role in the healing journey of patients like Charlie Ferguson, this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Champion.
Sanford doctors use evidence-based trauma therapy to treat patients like Charlie, but the room also helps kids reset after a difficult session and allows them to play games. It can also provide a place to have fun through art, creativity, and even video games.
“It creates a safe, child-friendly, trauma-informed environment that isn’t too medical or clinical and feels safe and comfortable,” Dr. Harting said.
This project is made possible thanks to a donation of more than $200,000 from Panda Cares to the Sanford Health Foundation. Both organizations are members of the Children’s Miracle Network, so it was natural for them to partner on this project.
“The foundation’s donations and support really help our children grow,” Dr. Harting said.
Making a positive impact on children and doctors
Dr. Harting and his team were thrilled by Panda Cares’ donation. She explained how something as seemingly simple as a playroom can help many children who have been traumatized.
“Experiencing really difficult events can have an impact on you,” she said. “With that comes symptoms of extreme avoidance, extreme fear, and difficulty trusting others.Creating a space where children can come and play and feel comfortable and relaxed is the key to working with therapists and health care providers. It’s really important to build trust in relationships, and I think this room will really help us achieve that.”
The joy and excitement of the day was etched on the faces of Dr. Helting and the panda care team on the first day. This partnership could blossom in the future, which would be great news for Dr. Harting.
“We are excited to see this space grow and develop and offer even more to our children,” she said. “This is a great start and an inspiration for what can happen in the future.”
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Categories: Behavioral Health, Children, Fargo, Foundation
