Hi, my name is Elyse Pineda (but I like to be called Ely) I am 6 years old. I was born with a condition called Chronic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction it’s a rare condition that means that for no apparent reason my intestines will not function properly or sometimes not at all. At this point time there is no known cause or cure for my condition but I hope that there someday there will be. In the meantime, my life is sustained with TPN (Total Parental Nutrition). Every day I get hooked up to an IV so that I can receive everything that my body needs in a day. Although I don’t eat very much there are two things that I love to eat the most: the Beef Tacos and Ice chips that they have at that hospital.
Since I was born I have been admitted to the hospital many times for various reasons and my stays can be anywhere from a week to a month. I have had multiple surgeries in the past 6 years that most of the surgical team now knows my name without even having to look at my chart. I love all the Nurses and Doctors here at UCLA they always do their best to make me feel better. Even though I sometimes have a lot of pain I try to stay happy, and do the things that I like to do: like play Hide-and-Go-Seek or do Arts and Crafts, play board game, Barbies and Angry Birds.
Child Life helps me do those things by bringing me lots of supplies, toys and games, but the thing that I love most of is my Child Life specialist, Rebecca. She always goes out of her way to make me happy weather it is playing with me in my room when I can’t make it to the playroom or just sitting with me to talk when I don’t feel well enough to play. She always makes me feel special, helps me forget that I’m sick, and always treats me like a normal kid no matter what condition I am in. Child Life is one of the things that I can look forward to when I have to stay at the hospital.
I am a member of The Explorers! Will you run for us?
