Our youngest daughter, Madison, was born with partial trisomy [a genetic disorder in which a person has part of an extra copy of chromosome 13], which has led to multiple health needs.
Being able to utilize telehealth services at our local Child Health Specialty Clinics regional center enables me to provide a more normal life for my other children and eliminate hours of travel to appointments from our home in Ottumwa, Iowa.
One of Maddie’s main medical complications is feeding. Currently she is fed completely through a G-tube [gastrostomy tube], which is somewhat of an oddity here in rural southeastern Iowa. The staff at Child Health Specialty Clinics [CHSC] makes me feel heard and supported. They encourage me as a mom and are very empathetic to the many ways our family’s lives have changed. We get this support from both the Ottumwa staff and from our Bettendorf-based dietitian through telehealth.
Being able to have full feeding support for our daughter locally has eliminated so much extra stress and travel time for our family. Now when we have an appointment, I can take my other children to their grandparents’ house, take Maddie to her appointment, and meet with multiple providers at the same time.
Our family is thankful for the amazing support that has been provided by CHSC locally and via a TV screen.
