Walla Walla Children's Village

When we first moved to Walla Walla, I needed to find a pediatrician for the boys. This was a pretty scary thing for me because I knew I needed to find a doctor who could deal with their congenital heart defects, and deal with Caden's chronic lung disease and respiratory issues. I needed someone who would be willing to listen to me and trust my gut and my instincts because I am their mom and I know them better than anyone.

I decided to bite the bullet and I called the pediatric office owned by the hospital where Greg works. I explained to the person who answered the phone that we just moved here and I needed a pediatrician and gave her a little background information so she understood where I was coming from. I asked her who she would recommend for my kids. She said if it was her kid (I love it when people think about who they would want their own child to see), she would choose Dr. Joseph Wren. I decided to go with her recommendation and see what I thought about him at our first appointment. I figured I could always change to someone else if I didn't like him.

When I first took Caden in to see Dr. Wren, I went through his extensive medical history and all his congenital defects, etc. I asked what to do if Caden went into serious respiratory distress (of course I'm hoping that will not be an issue). In Sacramento, I would call his pediatric pulmonologist office and get in immediately. But since there are ZERO pediatric specialists in Walla Walla, that's not an option. And, if he's in bad shape, driving to Spokane (three hours in the car), isn't really an option either. He told me the pediatricians were the ones to handle the hospital admissions for kids. I tried to kindly tell him that we avoid the hospital AT ALL COSTS! That is our very last resort and we do not want to go there unless it is absolutely necessary. I told him we have an oxygen concentrator at home, as well as a nebulizer and suction machine and I am very comfortable treating Caden at home as long as I have the necessary medications. I also let him know that I understood that he needed to get to know me and be able to trust that I know what I am talking about and know how to handle these kinds of situations.

By the end of the appointment, he told me he's never had another patient with oxygen at home, or one that he felt comfortable treating at home vs. being hospitalized. But he told me after talking to me, he said he would be very comfortable with me treating Caden at home if the need arose. I took that as a big compliment. :) But overall, I really like him and am so happy we found him. He was very proactive about making sure we had referrals to all the specialists for Caden so we could get established with each of them. He was great with Caden and I know we will love having him for our pediatrician!

The following week I took Kyler in for his first visit so Dr. Wren could get to know him as well. When he came into the exam room, he asked me if I worked outside the home and if I would be interested in joining a committee he started. This committee is working on establishing a “children's village” in Walla Walla. This is a place where children with special needs will be able to receive services such as physical, occupational or speech therapy. A place where pediatric specialists can come once/month (or more often if necessary) to see patients here so we don't have to drive to Spokane or Seattle. And many other things.

I was so excited about the project that I said “YES!” He said he had a committee meeting a couple days after he met me and Caden and he told the rest of the people on the committee that he had someone he really wanted to join them. He thought I had valuable insight to offer since I am new to the area and am not really familiar with any of the resources that are available. And, because I came from a community where I had every resource available he thought I could be very helpful in making suggestions for things they should think about.

I have to say I am really honored that he asked me to be on this committee. Typically it meets once/month for an hour or so. But in February, they had a facilitator coming from Seattle to help get the ball rolling so things could start moving along. That meant they scheduled an all-day meeting on a Friday. I wasn't sure how I was going to swing that with childcare for Caden! And, Kyler gets out of school at noon on Fridays. So I didn't think I could make it. But I talked to Dr. Wren and he suggested I call his daughter and have her babysit. She is 20 and living at home taking some online classes right now so her schedule is pretty flexible. I called her and she was willing to do it. So she watched Caden in the morning, picked Kyler up from school, fed both the kids, and did an overall great job!

Having her here allowed me to attend the full day meeting and really get a better understanding of what they are trying to create and how I can be the most helpful. By the end of the day I was pretty excited for this project and I am so happy to be involved in something in my new community. I can't wait to see how this all unfolds, although it will probably take several years since it is in the very early states right now.

Please pray for this project and that things will move along smoothly. Thank you!