Texas Children's Hospital
For patients, going to the hospital is not a fun experience. Between the medical reason that brings them in to the disruption of their everyday lives, its rare that anyone looks back at their time in the hospital positively.
I took a break from the world last week and witnessed hospital living firsthand. My wife (who was 8 months pregnant at the time) checked into Texas Children's Pavilion for Women with high blood pressure. This kicked off a several day journey which included induction, a lot of bleeding, an emergency C-section, and luckily the birth of our first child. There were times during this period when I felt completely overwhelmed and there were moments of fear where I was certain the worst might happen. But looking back, besides the real hero (my wife!), I have to give all of my gratitude to the hospital staff for their hard work and professionalism; and strangely enough, to Disney. Yes, I said Disney…
Back in 2018, Disney announced a five-year plan to commit $100M in resources to help reimagine the patient and family experience in children's hospitals and Texas Children's is the guinea pig for this initiative. When they set their plan into motion their aim was clear; help families who have a child facing serious illness. Now, from the description I gave above that is not really what we went through. In terms of hospital time we were in and out relatively quickly and though our procedure was scary, it was really a routine one. But even though I only got a small taste of Disney's presence, I was thankful they were there.
When my wife and I were panicking about what would happen next, a nurse came into the room wearing a Disney badge and before we knew it, we found ourselves discussing their favorite movie characters and why they chose the badge they did. We even learned that the staff is encouraged to trade badges, and from the sounds off it Princess Tiana is in high demand. When things finally calmed down and my wife was sleeping, I got a chance to catch up on the NBA playoffs. I will always have the memory of holding my child and sharing our first sports moment together while catching the recap of the Raptors winning the championship on (Disney owned) ESPN. These things seem so small, but when you are anxious and scared and in a strange place, it's the small comforts that ground you and help you return to a state of normalcy.
So what about those families whom Disney is targeting? What are Disney's benefits for them? Needless to say it goes well beyond small comforts. Here are some of the highlights:
- Personal – Room Décor, Hospital Gowns, & Care Packages; all customized to the choice of the patient. And yes sports fans, that appears to include ESPN and sports packages as well.
- Public Areas – Murals, Magic windows, and Magic portals; all interactive with games and apps designed to allow children a break from their rooms and a glimpse into the magical Disney universe.
- Movies and Shows – A mobile movie theater and DisneyNow apps; giving families access to the library of Disney owned media.
- Staff Engagement – The badges I mentioned earlier along with personalized training events with a focus on care, compassion, & comfort.
I missed the announcement of this initiative back in 2018 but was pleasantly surprised to hear about it now. I only caught a portion of the benefits myself in my short stay and am obviously hopeful I never get a chance to fully experience the rest. But with that being said I am extremely grateful it exists. It is truly amazing that a kid going into surgery has access to their heroes on demand to help calm them and give them words of encouragement. Because of the amazing Texas Children's staff and their partnership with Disney, kids who face difficult situations might be able to look back on them one day and actually have happy memories sprinkled in.
Before I return back to the busy world of work and sports (and now fatherhood), I want to take a moment to applaud all those involved in this initiative. Though it was only small gestures for me I truly thank you for your hard work. I know that the families who are unfortunate enough to need full access to these resources are extremely grateful for the effort you have put forth. Please keep up the great work!
For anyone looking to learn more please follow up here: https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/disney-team-heroes
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Oct 22, 2024, 3:10 pm
C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are looking for answers after their passing game couldn’t get going in a loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Houston’s passing attack had been a strength all season, and the Texans ranked fifth in yards passing per game through their first six games. But on Sunday at Lambeau Field, Stroud was limited to a career-low 86 yards in the 24-22 loss, which snapped a three-game winning streak.
Stroud was 10 of 21 and didn’t have a touchdown pass for the first time this season. The second-year player was under duress for much of the day and was sacked four times and hit seven other times.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and see what those issues were,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “As we watch the film, we’ll see what happened, starting for me the communication and just guys being on the details of the job.”
'Everything is on the table. We have to get it fixed' #Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on offensive line and if personnel changes are being contemplated @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/AwK0rqeU2z
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 21, 2024
The Texans scored a season-high 41 points in a win over New England a week earlier in which Stroud threw a season-best three touchdown passes despite being without star receiver Nico Collins.
They were unable to replicate that success Sunday with Collins out for the second of at least four games after a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve.
Stefon Diggs led the team with five receptions against the Packers, but they only amounted to 23 yards. Tank Dell, who the Texans expected to step up with Collins out, was targeted four times but didn’t have a catch.
Stroud discussed the importance of getting Dell more involved in the offense.
“We have to find a way to try and get him the rock early and often and then go from there,” he said. “It has to be a focus for us, not only just him, but the whole offense clicking early. That is really my job to get the ball out on time and to where it is supposed to go. So yeah, that definitely has to be fixed.”
Ryans spoke about his confidence is getting Dell going.
'I have all the faith in Tank' #Texans coach DeMeco Ryans expressed confidence in Tank Dell ability to get back to making explosive plays again as he did as a rookie @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/bojBEx3lYo
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 21, 2024
What's working
The Texans have forced seven turnovers combined in their last two games after they hadn’t caused any in their previous three games.
Houston scored 16 points off three turnovers Sunday. The Texans had two interceptions and recovered a fumble on a punt. In their win over the Patriots, they scored 17 points off a season-high four turnovers.
What needs help
The Texans won’t get to where they want to be this season if Stroud doesn’t get back on track. Before Sunday, last year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year was averaging more than 262 yards passing a game, giving the team confidence that the problems in the passing game are fixable.
Ryans knows the line must give Stroud more time to throw and said the coaching staff will focus on improving in that area this week.
Stock up
RB Joe Mixon continued to shine Sunday in his second game back after missing three games with an ankle injury. Mixon, who is in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati, had 25 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay.
Mixon is confident the Texans will rebound this week if they quit making mistakes.
“Does it look I’m worried? I’m not worried at all,” he said. “Like I said, we got a ... good football team. At the end of the day, we are our own worst enemy.”
Stock down
Dell was unable to help Stroud get the passing game going. The second-year player had a solid rookie season with 709 yards receiving and seven touchdowns in 11 games before breaking his leg. But he hasn’t been able to build on that success this year and has just 194 yards receiving with one score in six games.
Injuries
LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion), CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) and S Jimmie Ward (groin) all missed Sunday’s game and it’s unclear if any of these starters can return this week.
Key number
3 — Safety Calen Bullock had his third interception Sunday to tie Dunta Robinson and Jumal Rolle for most interceptions by a rookie in franchise history through the first seven games. He leads NFL rookies in interceptions this season and is tied for third-most among all players.
Next steps
The AFC South-leading Texans (5-2) return to division play Sunday when they host the second-place Colts (4-3), who have won two in a row and four of five.