Young Leukemia Patient Experiences Care, Compassion in Macon
Mother of Smruti Patel, 7, finds medical excellence close to home
Minaxi Patel and her husband Ankit were afraid their future would entail many trips up I-75 to Atlanta after learning last year that their 7-year-old daughter, Smruti, had leukemia.
Fortunately, the Warner Robins family found more than they needed closer to home, thanks to the caring professionals at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital in Macon. The hospital is the only dedicated pediatric hospital in central and south Georgia that features specialists in more than 15 areas of pediatric medicine, caring for children of all ages, from newborns to teens.
Smruti receives chemotherapy and physical therapy at the hospital and Patel said she has been impressed with the caring attitude shown by the staff.
“It is really amazing the way that they have treated her, the way that they treated me and my family. They have done some amazing things,” Patel said.
She said if her daughter wanted a mango party, she got a mango party. If she wanted an ice cream party, she got an ice cream party.
“You know, it's things that you never thought of in connection with a hospital,” Patel said. “I think that adults when we go to the hospital, it's almost like mourning and we're like out of it. We don't want to talk to anybody. But here, they have done such a great job making Smruti feel comfortable in the hospital and at home. They seem to know what makes her happy.”
Smruti started her treatment in February 2024. Her mom said she is slowly getting her strength back and is hopeful about what the future holds.
“She is definitely a people person,” her mother said. “She loves art and that was her therapy at the hospital. She just drew and drew and drew. She is a girly girl. Even when she had limited hair she still had her accessories.”
Patel is also grateful for the spirit of faith they have found at the hospital. She said many of the nurses said they pray before they administer her daughter’s medications.
“There have been several times when the nurses asked ‘Are you ready to pray because I'm ready to give it?.’ It's nice to see that they're with us in this,” Patel said. “Her faith increased so much through this process.”
As the only dedicated pediatric facility in central and south Georgia, and one of the most comprehensive in the state, Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital has the only 24/7 pediatric emergency room in the area. In addition to providing care in general pediatrics, pediatric critical care, neonatal intensive care and outpatient services, the hospital also serves as the primary teaching site for Mercer University School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.
For more information about services for children, or for help finding a doctor, visit childrenshospitalnh.org.
About Atrium Health Navicent
Atrium Health Navicent is the leading provider of health care in central and south Georgia and is committed to its mission of elevating health and well-being through compassionate care. Atrium Health Navicent is part of Advocate Health, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Navicent provides high-quality, personalized care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region. As part of the largest, integrated, nonprofit health system in the Southeast, it is also able to tap into some of the nation’s leading medical experts and specialists with Atrium Health, allowing it to provide the best care close to home – including advanced innovations in virtual medicine and care. Throughout its 130-year history in the community, Atrium Health Navicent has remained dedicated to enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. It is also one of the leading teaching hospitals in the region, helping to ensure viability for rural health care for the next generation. For more information, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Advocate Health is nationally recognized for its expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs more than 160,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to redefining care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.