Stories

Arkansas Children’s Hospital Social Worker Praises Goodness Village

While working at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Tara DeJohn has witnessed firsthand the benefits of having Goodness Village in Little Rock. Tara began referring families to Goodness Village first as a pediatric hematology/oncology social worker, then as the assistant director for the Social Work Department.

“Words cannot adequately describe the emotional, financial, physical, social, and spiritual impact caring for a child with serious or catastrophic illness has on a family.  Even if the family has insurance that covers the actual medical expenses, most families do not have the reserve to keep all of their household expenses running and cover the costs of a hotel if they are displaced from home for frequent and/or long periods of time.  With the additional challenges of the current pandemic, families are experiencing even more distress.

Goodness Village not only works hard to create scholarships for families to further minimize the financial impacts the families are suffering, but the Goodness Village staff go above and beyond to provide food and fun for families to be able to be together under one safe roof and build quality family memories.  For some of the families I have worked with and who stayed at Goodness Village, these are the last memories created before one of the children in the family dies from their illness.

I, along with many of my colleagues at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, are very appreciative to have community partners like Goodness Village to help us fulfill part of our values to be a family centered provider.”

Tara’s testimony reminds us about the difficult time families face while seeking services at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Goodness Village is here to help keep families together during this experience.