The cases that break your heart

[KelRN215]

Heartbreaking cases are not uncommon in pediatrics... especially in pediatric oncology. I have seen some of the worst of the worst in my 5+ years of pediatric nursing. I've seen kids present with a few days of headache, be diagnosed with a whopping brain tumor and leave the hospital in a body bag several months later. In my current job, doing pediatric home visits, I pretty much believe that every child in my city has cancer.

But every now and then a case comes along that is just that heartbreaking that it really gets to me. That case came to me last week. It was not an oncology case. It was a child who was normal until he was almost 3 but developed an anoxic brain injury after his teenage sister (later diagnosed with schizophrenia and currently institutionalized) tried to strangle him. He is now total care.

I generally don't get overly emotional about my cases. Pediatric cancer is awful but I can talk about it and be realistic about my patients' prognoses. This case is just one that is particularly getting to me... abuse cases are always the worst, IMO, because you know that the child's situation was 100% preventable. With pediatric cancer, you pretty much know that it wasn't caused by anything someone did.

Have you all had these kinds of cases that just tug at your heartstrings?

[typoagain]

ANY kid that says (as you make your 3rd attempt at starting an IV) "Please don't, I promise I'll be good."

I have cried more than once with this-and I am a gray headed old man!

We recently lost a 6 year old who had been severely beaten by mom's drugged out boyfriend when she was just 3 months old. She was left with severe neurological damage. Thankfully she was adopted by her foster parents who were nothing less than God's special gift just for her.

I also will be going to court soon with a co-worker who lost a grandchild to shaken baby syndrome. That is one babysitter I personally would not mind pulling the plug on myself. Now if they would just arrest the mother . . .

[uRNmyway, ASN, RN]

A few years back I was volunteering at a school to teach kids french. This one little 4 yr old had behavioral problems, got aggressive, would yell and throw tantrums with the slightest bit of discipline, even time-outs. One day he pitched a fit, and when I went to try to take him away from the other kids so no one would get hurt, he yelled 'I want you to give me something to cry about!' I was hormonal and pregnant, but I had to leave the room for a minute, just started to cry. I reported it to the owner of the school, which was their policy. Dont know what the end result was.

Wonder how many times he was told that, or if they ever acted on the threat....

[Katie13LPN]

I took care of a teenager who I believe was like the way she was because her mother drank during her pregnancy. She had scoliosis and was on a ventilator by the time I was on her case and her legs where very contractured too from her seizures. She loved to play with her marble run and liked her baths.

[nursemeanie]

Drownings always break my heart...I have yet to take care of a child whose drowning was not 100% preventable

[juicybath]

There are quite a few kids who will probably live in my head forever. I worked at a Pediatric hospital. One day, a 2 year old was carried in by a social worker after being discovered alone in an apartment with his mother's dead body. She had died of an OD at least 5 days before. Neighbours heard the child crying but I guess it was nothing unusual.

He was dehydrated and had lost a lot of weight (according to the social worker who had had previous contact with him) I'll never forget the smell. I could barely refrain from vomiting while trying to clean him up. I had to put on two masks and spray the front of the mask with room deodorizer just to be able to get near him. His little body was soaking wet and ice cold. Fortunately, he recovered well with no permanent damage. I often wonder what his life turned out like. I can still see him tucked up in our crib under the warm blankets desperately sucking down a bottle of Pedialyte....

[stephaniehowe]

I knew better than to read this! I've only been in geriatrics as a nurse and absolutely love it, for me bad days aren't that bad it's a blessing that they no longer are suffering and lived such a long life.

I began in the medical field as an EMT, one call during my clinical was for SIDs. Walking into that home, watching the parents sob and seeing the lifeless body was too much for me. Coming home to my daughter who wasn't much older that night, all I could do was just rock her and cry. So since I've always steered clear of children. I absolutely love being around children and sometimes enjoy being around mine! I accepted a job as a school nurse and am so excited to get started this year but cringe at the thought of making my first call to CPS. Bless all you pedi nurses!

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I think sometimes the every day general neglect kids go through can be just as heartbreaking. I had one kid who was in his early teens and weighed over 230#. He wasn't a diabetic yet, but did suffer from Blount's disease. He had 2 surgeries with little relief in the long term. I often wonder if he ever lost any of the weight.. His mother never took him for physical therapy let alone to a gym. The only thing she would buy for food was junk food and fast food. Sad.