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Testimonials
“I have had the honor of working beside Ashleigh in the PICU for many years. She has a unique ability to connect with patients and families and influence their experience in some positive way, no matter how traumatic or devastating the situation is. I am in awe of her when I watch her from the bedside. But being a colleague of Ashleigh is not how our paths first crossed. In 2013 I adopted a 5 year old little girl from China. Within days of bringing her home she became quite sick and ended up hospitalized, in the unit Ashleigh worked on. There I was with a brand new five year old who didn’t understand the English language, who was in the hospital having multiple tests and procedures done. I felt extremely helpless. Then, in came Ashleigh…with a baby doll. Such a simple thing, but also so profound. She made sure that every nurse, doctor, Xray tech, ECHO tech, ultrasound tech and phlebotomist performed their “task” on the baby doll first. This allowed my daughter to “see” what was going to happen to her and eased the language barrier for a scared little girl and her helpless momma.”
Shannon, RN and grateful mama
“I have spent two decades working in Children’s Hospitals and have the utmost respect for the important expertise of our Certified Child Life Specialists. Of all of our expert team members, they are the ones who are most agile at communicating with children in developmentally appropriate ways, negotiating with children who don’t want to be in the hospital, and building trusting relationships with children and families during times of crisis. While I am fortunate to work with a fantastic group of Child Life team members, the decade I have spent working side-by-side with Ashleigh in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit stands out because she is such a star. I hope my own children never need Child Life expertise, but if they do I would want Ashleigh. She has a gift for making her impossible job seem like it’s easy, and for doing it with a smile. Truly exceptional in every way.”
Justin, Associate Chair, Dept. of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
“Ashleigh has been a local, national, and international leader in understanding the needs of children as they face their greatest challenges. Her compassion and smile are outward manifestations of years of experience and a depth of knowledge that is invaluable to both a child in need and a family that is likely in even greater need. She is a reliable partner to support a holistic approach to untimely and often unfortunate circumstances faced by you and those you love.”
Thomas, Pediatric Critical Care Physician
“In over a decade of working with Ashleigh Schopen at CHOP, I can say without any doubt, but with great confidence and enthusiasm, that she is one of the finest colleagues I have worked with in any discipline at the hospital. As a chaplain, I was frequently working alongside Ashleigh in intense and traumatic situations in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The level of skill, compassion, tenderness, and smarts she brought to her work was hands down, extraordinary. Too few appreciate the depth of talent a CLS like Ashleigh has. She has tremendous therapeutic gifts whether she's supporting a child on the verge of dying, the parents, or siblings-- all of whom may well have very different needs. Moving through tense and anguished family situations is not a skill, but an art. Ashleigh understands grief, bereavement, and the aftermath of pediatric trauma as well as anyone I know. If I had a child in need, Ashleigh would be the first person I would call. But she also knows how to support children whose needs at the moment might be less intense because of her ability to meet children where they are and engage them with humor and play. Ashleigh’s kindness, warmth, and generosity of heart make her a joy to know.”
Laura, Chaplain
“Ashleigh Schopen has taught me everything I know about helping pediatric patients cope with hard things. I perform what can be uncomfortable procedures, but when Ashleigh is in the room, the entire vibe is one of calm. Ashleigh’s ability to focus a child on her, distract them from the unpleasant procedure, or coach them through the procedure helps me to perform my job. After the “hard part” is over, Ashleigh reliably highlights how the patient achieved something remarkable, and praises them for everything that went right. There is no better partner for getting through a tough situation than Ashleigh.”
Molly, Clinical Nurse Specialist
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