Boston Children's Hospital — Attraction in Boston

To begin my child was born at another hospital in Boston where they treated my new born for Jaundice under uv lights.. the babies condition did not improve and no one heard my concerns when I said my baby looked extremely yellow and wasn’t acting right. It wasn’t until the babies levels reached critical levels of jaundice that the drs at the other hospital raised concern but even then they tried to assure me it would level out in a couple days and be fine… nope I wasn’t buying it any more and I rushed my baby to Boston children’s. I was sick from only a week post partum myself and having struggled through a severely high risk pregnancy, had major surgery during pregnancy, a car crash at the end of my pregnancy , & more than you can imagine. We arrived at Boston Children’s Hospital I was at the check in desk they started asking a couple questions and I broke down into tears.. numerous nurses and staff gathered around us grabbed my newborn and in the matter of minutes they had my baby in a room in the er under uv lights to start treating the jaundice and running vitals. I literally was a mess but the nurses the drs truly gave me comfort. They were so attentive to my baby and me they were concerned for us both. A couple hours and the baby was admitted to the 7th floor. My little baby went through various blood tests every day and stayed under uv lights to lower jaundice. The drs had come to me with a diagnosis within a couple days my little one had HDN a rare blood disease that causes hyperbillrubin (jaundice) which can last for an extended period of time. They were able to pin point what the other hospital brushed off. Jumping forward a little bit the baby had issues with failure to thrive and had to be placed on a feeding tube alongside medications and had been in the hospital pretty much since birth and several weeks had passed. I was worried about my baby what the outcome could be. I honestly started to become worried with the issues and the things I read about the disease that my baby might not make it. Even though they told me everything would be fine. I asked for a Chaplin and the nurse was so pleased to help me and have them come see me. I decided to have ny baby baptized in the hospital. My babies nurse I believe her name Was Quinn without hestisation agreed to be the witness to the baptism. That moment can’t be made up or replaced… Our hospital stay continued, my baby under the relentless care from the drs and nurses improved… we were discharged and came home (on a feeding tube) I have other children and the baby unfortunately had to be readmitted again to complicate things shortly after admission my oldest kids brought the flu home. I wasn’t able to visit this time so to not jeopardize my babies health more than it always was. The drs called me with updates and the nurses gave me updates every time I called .. this is the only place on earth I could trust outside of my family leaving my baby overnight with out me. They gave the baby so much love and attention and we’re even able to take out the feeding tube and do all oral feeds. My baby has had the most amazing teams from the time we walked in a few months ago to today!!!! I truly feel Boston Children’s Hospital saved my child’s life. I could not be more thankful for the amazing drs and nurses and staff. The world does come here for answers and they answered my questions and have gone above and beyond. Thank you for all you all do thank you for your dedication...

Our experience with this institution has been deeply troubling on multiple levels. There were a number of violations of trust and professionalism, beginning with breach of our son's privacy (HIPAA) and a consistent pattern of staff failing to listen or respond to our concerns. Rather than collaborating with us, the team appeared to operate with their own internal agenda, disregarding what we or our teen actually needed or requested.

Most staff did not introduce themselves, which left us feeling like we were being approached by strangers, not supported by a unified, compassionate care team. This only intensified our sense of vulnerability and mistrust.

Even more frustrating was that the specialist we had originally consulted with--whose guidance was a key reason for choosing this hospital--was too busy lecturing to see our son in person. Despite being scheduled for a five-day comprehensive study, we were unexpectedly discharged after just 26 hours, without the clarity, answers, or thorough evaluation we were promised and had planned for. It felt rushed, dismissive, and unprofessional.

This wasn't our first negative encounter. Years ago, during a separate visit, staff members behaved in a way that felt bullying and intimidating, in full view of our 7-year-old son. The result was that he left believing he might be taken away from his family. The emotional impact of that moment has stayed with us causing PTSD for that trauma.

The attention to detail throughout our experiences has been grossly lacking. Parent accommodations were so uncomfortable they were comparable to sleeping on a sidewalk, and it was clear that parent comfort and inclusion were not a priority. Our teenager was treated as though his voice didn't matter--dismissed, disregarded, and not involved in his own care decisions. We came in seeking answers to a specific concern, and that core purpose was completely ignored.

To make matters worse, the Family Care Center provided incorrect parking passes, forcing us to pay out of pocket despite submitting a financial need form in advance. It was an unnecessary financial and emotional burden that could easily have been avoided.

When I contacted the Patient Care team to raise these serious concerns, I was met with excuses. There was no real accountability, no follow-up, and no indication that any meaningful changes would result from our feedback. The only "resolution" offered was free parking for our next visit--an empty gesture, since we will never return to Boston...

Today i experienced racial profiling.I have been going to this hospital for many years. In the past i was always very satisfied by the great facility, the amazing team of medical professional and staff. Today I had the worst experience un the ER to my great surprise. This is NOT my first time in this ER. I have two small children and I am a regular at this point. This evening though I had to take my baby in because she was experiencing respiratory problems due to the Croup. While I had a great nurse the ER team was lacking. I pressed the button a couple times to request help and they did not transmit the info to the nurse. I stepped out to get food and left my baby with the nurse briefly. I was asked for my ID and for badging to renter to be with my baby. I got frustrated because I saw other parents not asked the same. Also, the staff knew i was a parent of a sick child they all saw me exit as I asked them if Uber eats would deliver to the ER. The security told me to check outside. I DID. Got my food and try to go back in. The discharge desk did not let me in and required me to get a badge to reenter. I waited for visitors to check-in and tried to express I am a parent with a baby inside. I was asked for my ID though my purse was inside.

I did not see the same level of scrutiny from more Caucasian looking caregivers. This is not fair. Also, the lady at the ER who directs people seeing me visibly tired stressed and agravated decided to escalate and was extremely defensive and unpleasant. They called a bunch of security officers as if I was a threat after i had to reexit and get medication before the pharmacy closed at 11pm... again even with a badge the registratoon desk required me to provide my information again....after i hD just left twice for food and medication....while all I wanted to do is return to my baby who was extremely agitated after receiving steroids. This entire experience was a nightmare and the double reentry standards revolting. All parents should be asked to badge upon reentry, not just some. The rule should apply for all regardless of what they look like.

The arbitrary nature of which parent or caregiver let back in without having security check them is something I never experienced. I also don't understand why a parent going in with their baby is not given a special sort of name tag or bracket ND why should I have to...