The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, is breaking ground on a project that will allow the nonprofit to serve 25% more families each year.
Wednesday morning, members of the board of the Children’s Inn and NIH medical director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli celebrated the planned $50 million project.
It will add a 15,000-square-foot addition featuring eight apartment style guest suites, according to CEO of the Children’s Inn at NIH Jennie Lucca. There will also be a new, ADA accessible pedestrian bridge connecting the Inn directly to the sidewalk across the street from the clinical center, she said.
Another planned feature is the “Merck Tower of Hope,” which will be an “inclusive space for all families” at the Inn.
“We at NIH rely on the Children’s Inn to provide a home away from home for patients and their families while they participate in clinical research,” Bertagnolli said.
She said there’s no doubt in her mind that the support the Inn provides to families plays a role in successful outcomes.
“You know, science is magic that works. And we are seeing so much of it. It’s really a thrilling time.”
Markus Forrester, a 17-year-old recovering from a lung transplant, told WTOP the support he found at the Children’s Inn at NIH was helpful to him and his family. He said he got input on how to deal with his health issues.
During his stay, which he said totaled about two years, he received tutoring and other help with school.
Jamie Gentille, now a board member at the Children’s Inn, shared her experience as a patient at the facility that she said really does feel like home.
“I was born with a congenital heart defect that required open heart surgery when I was 3.”
It was 1982, at time, she said, “when they were not screening blood products.”
“I was one of the few folks that was infected with HIV as a young child.”
She said at first, there were no signs of trouble. Then, she started getting sick. Her family was told she had maybe 2 years to live.
“Spoiler alert! I survived! It’s a good ending,” she said with a laugh.
Part of the reason for that good ending, in her view, is because, “At the same time, this place was doing magic and creating one of the first drug protocols for pediatric HIV.”
Just before the group of speakers grabbed shiny shovels with blue ribbons attached to the handles to break ground on the project, Lucca took the mic to invite everyone back for the planned ribbon cutting in 2027.
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