As parents, we always put our children’s needs before our own, es­pecially when they are sick and in the hospital. We do it without thinking. However, we forget about the basics for ourselves—like sleep, food and self-care. An instructive analogy comes to mind: On an airplane, the flight at­tendant stresses that in an emergency we need to put on our oxygen masks first before tending to the child next to us. It is hard for parents to care for their children if they are not doing so for themselves.

Thanks to a Radiothon grant, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center is helping parents do just that through a pilot program at the Grace Rea Garrett Children’s Library and Mr. & Mrs. G. Lloyd Bunting Sr. Family Resource Center. Families are offered free self-care through yoga, art projects, chair massages, guided meditation and a hot meal—simple things we take for granted, yet a much-needed respite from a hospital bedside.

The program offers a place or activ­ity to help unwind—even if only for a few minutes—and to let go of the emotional stress of caring for a criti­cally ill child. A dose of resiliency and compassion during the hardest times, according to parents’ responses, goes a long way.

“We were able to enjoy a lasagna dinner after spending long hours in our daughter’s hospital room. These pick-me-ups keep us going,” says one parent. Another says, “In the middle of my darkest days, a child life specialist sought me out and extended an invita­tion for a massage. Being touched, feel­ing and connecting with my own body, gave me such strength.”

There will always be a need for such valuable resources, and we greatly ap­preciate any support. To learn more, or to suggest ideas for how we can help parents and families ease their stress and build resilience, please e-mail us at [email protected].