It began the night before with a sick baby up all night crying. What changed and made this different and more alarming were the events the next day: inconsolable crying, blood in the diaper and a trip to the doctor that was inconclusive. Then, late in the day he began throwing up blood. We called the doctor and he told us to go immediately to the hospital…. but not our local hospital in Thousand Oaks. We were instructed to go to Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center because “just in case” there was something seriously wrong, we needed a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Tarzana had one – and our local hospital did not.

From the moment we arrived in the Emergency Department, we were treated with the utmost compassion and professionalism. In order to ease Cole’s pain with medication and to hydrate him, they needed to insert an IV. This is a very tricky procedure on a chubby baby with no visible veins. Fortunately, the resident “chubby baby vein” expert was available to insert the IV stick on the first try. His calm, caring and reassuring demeanor eased our tensions and gave us hope.

Our next experience was with a wonderful radiologist who, together with the surgeon, Dr. Shaul, diagnosed an intussusception; a type of intestinal blockage where the intestine telescopes on itself. At 1:30 AM, the surgeon emerged from the OR to tell us the surgery had been successful and that he had a wonderful prognosis. All this, thanks to the expert professional care we received at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center.

As we stood with our son this fall at our nephew’s wedding, I gazed upon the face of a young man whose life was saved 16 years ago by the extraordinary medical professionals, the team of doctors, nurses and caregiving staff at this wonderful hospital. Every day, I give thanks that our community has the amazing resource and special place that is Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center.