St. Joseph's Children's Hospital Oncology Patient Meets with Members of Congress to Discuss Health Care Needs for Kids

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Aug 14, 2020, 17:51 ET

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, 6-year-old Ellie York of Tampa and her family joined more than 50 other pediatric patients from across the nation in meeting with their members of Congress to speak out on behalf of children with complex medical conditions.

Ellie York, 6, an oncology patient at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa, meets virtually with U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor on Aug. 12, 2020. During Family Advocacy Week, Aug. 10-14, Ellie and her family joined St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in asking members of Congress to continue supporting the health care needs of children with serious and chronic conditions, which remain critical even during the global pandemic.

Six-year-old Ellie York (center), a patient at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa, was diagnosed with Pre B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia four years ago. Her treatment included 26 months of chemotherapy and her big sisters Eva, 11, and Nora, 8, were by her side during her many hospital visits. Ellie and her family joined St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in meeting virtually with members of Congress to discuss health care needs for kids as part of Family Advocacy Week Aug. 10-14.

When she was just 2 years old, Ellie was diagnosed with Pre B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Her treatment included 26 months of chemotherapy, with several lengthy in-patient hospital stays during that time. Ellie had her last chemotherapy treatment on June 9, 2018. Currently, she undergoes blood tests and other diagnostic monitoring every three months.

St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa has been instrumental in Ellie's diagnosis, treatment and continuous care.

"Treatment at a children's hospital was not only imperative for Ellie physically, but also psychologically," said her mother, Jaclyn York. "At St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, Ellie was surrounded by other children and she felt less alone. This also had a positive impact on her two sisters, 11-year-old Eva and 8-year-old Nora, who were able to see that Ellie wasn't the only child needing frequent hospital visits."

During the Aug. 10-14 meetings, which were part of the Children's Hospital Association's Family Advocacy Week, the York family met virtually with U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Kathy Castor, Charlie Crist, Darren Soto, Greg Steube and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio as well as senior health care advisors from the offices of Rep. Ross Spano and Sen. Rick Scott.

Together, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital and the family asked Congress to continue to take into consideration the health care needs of children with life-threatening, complex or chronic conditions, which remain critical even as we continue to combat COVID-19. In addition, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital President Sarah Naumowich, BayCare Pediatric Service Line Medical Director Dr. Christina Canody and St. Joseph's Children's Hospital emergency physician Dr. Juan Carlos Abanses highlighted how the hospital has served children and families through the pandemic and remains a resource for the community as it prepares for the start of the 2020-21 school year.

"While Ellie's recent visits to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital have been brief, we are very grateful to have access to a children's hospital that consistently provides high-quality care to meet the critical health care needs of Florida's youngest residents, including pediatric cancer patients like Ellie, even during a global health pandemic," added Jaclyn.

About St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
As Tampa's only dedicated children's hospital, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is committed to providing everything needed for the health and well-being of children. Part of the BayCare Health System, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital provides more acute medical and surgical pediatric care than all other hospitals in Tampa Bay. From the tiniest baby to the high school quarterback, patients are cared for by doctors who specialize in treating children, in surroundings designed exclusively for kids.

About BayCare
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and west central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE St. Joseph's Children's Hospital