This week’s HerCampus Celebrity is Samantha (or Sam) Martin, who’s a freshman in the Communication program at PhilaU, a member of HerCampus, and a big supporter of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the CHOP Miracle Network. As a follow-up to the HerCampus & Trend Tribe event held on Tuesday, December 8th, during which we raised nearly $100 be donated to CHOP, HerCampus’ very own Sam has taken the time out to answer questions about the fantastic philanthropic cause we supported at the event.
HerCampus: Can you tell us a little bit about what Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is and what it does?
Sam: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is a hospital that specializes in care for children, specifically. They are one of the best hospitals in the country and are known for their expertise in the field of child health care.
HC: I know you’ve had some personal experience with CHOP – can you give some more detail about that?
Sam: I was born with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). When I was born, I was immediately put in to the care of CHOP due to the severity of my condition and had open heart surgery at just 2 days old. Since then, I have always been under the care of CHOP. While I have not had to have any major surgeries since birth, I have had catheterizations and two years ago got an Internal Cardiac Defibrillator (basically a pacemaker.) I go to CHOP every three months for checkups for my heart. They have taken amazing care of me, which is why I am so passionate about helping out!
HC: I can’t imagine what it must have been like to go through that. How has the care you received CHOP affected your life?
Sam: I truly believe that without the expert care of CHOP, I would not be here today. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing hospital nearby that is constantly finding new ways to keep me and all the other children they care for safe. Being a patient at CHOP has overall made me appreciate everything that life has to offer. There are kids with my condition that are not as lucky as I am, and I owe my stable health to CHOP!
HC: And are you still involved with CHOP now?
Sam: My family became a Children’s Miracle Network family years ago. This means that we go to events such as radiothons or fundraisers to speak about my experience with CHOP in order to raise money for programs within the hospital. Any time I get the chance to help raise money for CHOP, I do it. I even had my guests at my Sweet 16 bring quarters for candy machines where all the money would go to CHOP. My mom holds events every year to raise money for them as well.
HC: In your opinion, what makes CHOP special?
Sam: CHOP is so special because of the employees of CHOP and the overall atmosphere. The doctors are not only incredibly smart, but they know how to make a child feel comfortable in the hospital environment. I remember my doctors using big terms with my parents about my condition and then turning to me and breaking down what they just said in language I would understand as a child, and I think that’s a really amazing aspect to have at a hospital. Whenever I went in for surgery, the nurses always got to know me, and I still remember the names of nurses I had years ago because of how awesome they treated my family and me! An extremely important part of what makes CHOP so special is the Child Life Program. The Child Life Program made my experience in the hospital a positive one by doing things such as letting me choose a pillow case for my pillow before surgery, letting my decorate my oxygen, or decorating pumpkins for Halloween. These are just a few of the numerous things the Child Life Team at CHOP does for the kids.
HC: That’s a fantastic cause. So for anyone interested, what are some ways they can get involved and support CHOP?
Sam: There are many ways to get involved with CHOP. You can apply to volunteer there, you can donate money in stores such as Wawa, or you can even form your own fundraising event!
HC: Any final thoughts about CHOP?
Sam: While it isn’t a great thing to have to go to the hospital as a child, being a patient at CHOP has changed my life. It has made me a stronger person that appreciates all life has to offer. One quote I always see in the hospital is “Hope lives here,” and it is so true. CHOP gives their patients hope in a way that no other hospital can.