Teenager inspires community to bring kid-friendly healthcare to Bismarck
by Kim Singer

Amber Des Roches was just 11 years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia, and she spent four years in and out of Medcenter One Children’s Hospital. While undergoing treatment, Amber envisioned a place where children could escape from their illnesses and be comfortable as opposed to a regular hospital setting.

“She had a lot of imagination, (and) could dream up a lot of ideas and stories,” said John Des Roches, Amber’s dad.

Despite a courageous battle with cancer, Amber died just days before Christmas in 2007. In the face of unbearable grief and sorrow, Amber’s family was reminded of how the teenager often talked about transforming the Medcenter One Children’s Hospital.

The Des Roches family brought Amber’s journals, which outlined her plan for the hospital, to Medcenter One. It was then that the ideas Amber dreamed about were put in motion.

“The Medcenter One leadership team had a plan for the Children’s Hospital, and then along came Amber and her dream and her inspiration,” said Dr. Craig Lambrecht, Medcenter One president/CEO.

Amber’s vision largely revolved around the story of Peter Pan, hence the pirate ship nurses’ station and similar motifs in the project.

The ship, created by artists Hans Gilsdorf of Detroit Lakes and Dwight Williams of Fargo, is built so the desk is at children’s eye level. Portholes dot the ship’s hull, and each porthole features a different hands-on activity for children, such as a marble maze or a three-dimensional scene where children can move an alligator back and forth to sink a small ship.

“It’s exciting,” said Randi Schaeffer, Medcenter One Children’s Hospital manager. “Amber shared with us the dream she had for all children. And thanks to her vision, it has become a children’s center like no other.”

Ever since Schaeffer started working as a pediatric nurse 35 years ago, she’s had a vision of what the perfect environment to promote healing for children would be.

“When children’s fear of the unkown is addressed and a trust relationship is developed in an environment that is developmentally appropriate, that fear turns into a positive lifetime experience. Schaeffer said

“The power of distraction can reduce pain, eliminate fear and promote healing,” said Dr. Rafael Ocejo, a Medcenter One neonatologist and pediatrician. “It has been proven through research that children whose minds are occupied recover more quickly than those who are simply provided medical care in a sterile, unimaginative setting.”

Being a child herself, Amber knew the importance of understanding children’s needs. Her vision for how to best care for children sparked overwhelming community support for the project.

“This is exactly what fundraising should be,” said Carrol Meyers-Dobler, the executive director of the Medcenter One Foundation. “It’s not about raising money. It’s about making dreams come true.”

When its transformation is completed, Medcenter One Children’s Hospital will feature family centered rooms that will provide ample space for parents to stay overnight with their children, a sea-themed treatment room that will give children the illusion of swimming underwater, a large play area, a room with electronics and other activities for teenagers and the Meddy Bear Night Sky with fiber optic stars and shooting stars.

Amber’s dream has brought magic to the Medcenter One Children’s Hospital. Her vision will help children and their families better cope with illnesses and injuries for many generations to come.

“We all knew Amber when she was alive. We all became close to her as we do with all the children that are here,” Schaeffer said. “But Amber we’re getting to know more and more even after she passed away. Looking and reading the book that she was so faithful to, she’s here with us because she’s sharing what she wanted so badly for all children.”

In total, the renovation of Medcenter One Children’s Hospital will cost right around $1 million. The Foundation still needs to raise roughly $40,000 of that. To learn more about Amber’s Dream or to make a donation, visit medcenterone.com/ambersdream or call the Foundation at 701-323-8450.