Amber's Dream—the transformation of the
   Medcenter One Children's Hospital

Amber’s Dream a large step closer to reality

Ever since Randi Schaeffer started working as a pediatric nurse 35 years ago, she’s had a vision of what the perfect environment to promote healing for children would be. Forgive Schaeffer, now the clinic nurse manager of Medcenter One Children’s Hospital, for constantly flashing a smile as wide as the Missouri River when showing off Medcenter One’s latest innovation. On Wednesday, Oct. 27, a major step in Amber’s Dream, the transformation of the Children’s Hospital, began. It was then that artists Hans Gilsdorf of Detroit Lakes, Minn., and Dwight Williams of Fargo arrived in Bismarck to install the

pirate ship nurses’ station, which will be the centerpiece of the Amber’s Dream project.

“It’s exciting,” Schaeffer said. “It’s just going to be a children’s center like no other. To have a place like this in a town the size of Bismarck is going to be amazing.”

The ship, which Gilsdorf and Williams worked on in their respective studios, is built so the desk is at children’s eye level. Portholes dot the ship’s hull, and each porthole features a different hands-on activity for children, such as a marble maze or a three-dimensional scene where children can move an alligator back and forth to sink a small ship.

“It’s user-friendly for the nurses,” Schaeffer said, “but fun and exciting for the children.”

That’s exactly what Gilsdorf had in mind when designing the ship.

His first daughter was born premature, so he and his family had to spend many hours in a hospital. He knows from experience how much a vibrant, stimulating setting will help children and their families.

“For me, it’s a way to give back to the kids,” Gilsdorf said as he was crouched down applying sealant between two of the seven large pieces of the ship. “I want to create an environment that’s appealing and exciting. My goal is to make it not look like a hospital as much as possible.”

When children can feel at ease, they’re more apt to express themselves, and their healing process speeds up.

“The power of distraction can reduce pain, eliminate fear and promote healing,” said Dr. Rafael Ocejo, a Medcenter One neonatologist and pediatrician. “It has been proven through research that children whose minds are occupied recover more quickly than those who are simply provided medical care in a sterile, unimaginative setting.”

The various activities on the pirate ship even can help caregivers catch a glimpse of a child’s mood.

For example, one of the portholes features a picture of two fish with multiple expressions that children can change by turning a knob.

“If you can speak their language,” Schaeffer said, “it is magical.”

Amber’s Dream is named after Amber Des Roches, who spent four years in and out of Medcenter One Children’s Hospital, while receiving treatment for leukemia. She envisioned a place where children could escape from their illnesses and be comfortable as opposed to a regular hospital.

After Des Roches left the world in December 2007, her parents, John and Pam Des Roches approached Medcenter One with Amber’s journals outlining her plan for the hospital. The story of Peter Pan captivated Amber, hence the pirate ship and similar motifs in the project.

When completed, Medcenter One Children’s Hospital will feature family centered rooms that will provide ample space for parents to stay overnight with their children, a sea-themed treatment room that will give children the illusion of swimming underwater, a large play area, a room with electronics and other activities for teenagers and the Meddy Bear Night Sky with fiber optic stars and shooting stars.

“This is exactly what fundraising should be,” said Carrol Meyers-Dobler, the executive director of the Medcenter One Foundation, the fundraising arm of the healthcare system that is raising the money for Amber’s Dream. “It’s not about raising money. It’s about making dreams come true.”

In total, the renovation of Medcenter One Children’s Hospital will cost right around $1 million. The Foundation still needs to raise roughly $100,000 of that. To learn more about Amber’s Dream or to make a donation, visit medcenterone.com/ambersdream or call the Foundation at 701.323.8450.