PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

August 2, 2023

A ROSIE PLACE

Dave O’Connor was the speaker for the August 31^st Plymouth Rotary Club meeting.  Dave is the Director of Community Engagement for A Rosie Place for Children.  A Rosie Place is a hospital which provides quality care for medically fragile children where a fragile child is defined as one who needs a medical device to compensate for the loss of a vital body function and/or substantial and ongoing nursing care to avert death or further disability.  Parents are able to leave their fragile children for a temporary basis with the assurance that they will receive quality care.

A Rosie Place allows parents to have a break from the 24 hour constant vigilant care required for children who are medically fragile.  Children usually stay for three, five or seven days.  While at A Rosie Place a child has the opportunity to interact with other children like themselves.  They enjoy the saltwater aquarium which hosts its own Nemo, as well as the outdoor pond, waterfall, fountain, and shady pavilion.  During their stay children make friends, share meals, bake cookies, play outside, have adventures, enjoy parties, play games and make choices.   During their stay children are loved and made to feel they belong.

A Rosie Place serves the whole family.  They are committed to preserving families.  Throughout the years they host family events that offer fragile children and their siblings an opportunity to participate in activities together.  At these events siblings discover other kids just like them – kids who know what it is like to take a back seat to the more urgent needs of a chronically ill sibling.  These events also allow families to be mutually supportive.

Because A Rosie Place is a hospital with a professional staff the cost for a child to stay is $661/day.  Nevertheless, parents are never charged anything.  Unfortunately, the care that A Rosie Place provides is not recognized as an insurance benefit.  A Rosie Place does receive some money from Medicare wavers for some of the children.  Almost all of the hospital income comes from donations.

As Dave was talking about the gift of relief from some of the emotional, physical, and financial pressures for families of medically fragile children I was reminded of the words of Jesus from Matthew.  “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)  “Weary and carrying a heavy burden” would seem to describe parents and families with medically fragile children.  What they seek is some rest.

In Matthew 25 Jesus says when you do something for others, especially those going through difficult times, you do it for Him.  Those who are involved with A Rosie Place and those who support their efforts of offering rest and improving the lives of medically fragile children and families are fulfilling Jesus’ offer of rest to those who are weary and heavy laden.  They offer the comforting rod of the good shepherd to those who need relief from the pressures they experience (Psalm 23).

If you would like more information concerning A Rosie Place, would like to support the hospital, or would like to know how they might bring some relief to your family, the best place to start is at ARosiePlace.org.  You can also find them at facebook.com/ARosiePlace.  The phone number for A Rosie Place is 574-235-8899.  You can reach Dave at dave@arosieplace.org.

This article was first published September 20, 2020.