One family is taking their story from Union County to Capitol Hill to thank members of Congress for supporting Nationwide Children’s Hospital and ask them to take action on important child health legislation this year. Nationwide Children’s Hospital patient, Zoni Robinson, 4, and her family will join 30 other child patients and their families to meet with members of Congress and share their personal health experiences as part of the 2014 Children’s Hospital Association’s Family Advocacy Day, taking place June 24-25 in Washington, D.C.
When Zoni Robinson was 3 years old, what was supposed to be a fun camping vacation to Michigan soon turned into an unforgettable tragedy. Zoni turned too quickly while playing with her brother, lost her balance and fell into the campfire. She suffered severe burns on her legs, bottom and arms. She was stabilized in Michigan, and then transported to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where she was an inpatient for 33 days, spending six days in an induced coma.
Zoni’s parents, Josiah and Diana, stayed by her side at the hospital while many family and friends, including a group of Future Farmers of America, stepped up to care for her two brothers and sister as well as the family’s Union County farm. Music therapists and child life specialists aided her recovery from the time she was on various ventilators for treatment of respiratory failure, through her skin grafts for third- and second-degree burns to the moment when she started to heal and become able to participate in physical therapy. She will need to wear compression garments for about a year.
“When a child has a life-threatening and painful injury such as Zoni experienced, the last thing any family should have to think about is how they are going to pay for the health care costs,” said Dr. Steve Allen. “That’s why we are pleased Congress has started efforts to renew CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program that is vital to health care coverage for millions of children. Children are the best investment our nation’s leaders can make in our future.”
“It takes a big team to take care of patients with burns; numerous pediatric physician and surgical specialists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, dieticians, recreational therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and more. Every child, we feel, is like one of our children,” said Dr. Renata Fabia, Zoni’s physician and director of The Christine Wilson Burn Center at Nationwide Children's. “That’s why we are grateful to the Robinson family and their trip to Washington D.C. to be a voice for all children who should have access to quality health care.”
Zoni Robinson, 4, spent 33 days as an inpatient in The Christine Wilson Burn Center.