OUR MISSION:
Our mission is to provide supportive respite for whole families with youth who are stabilized, but still battling serious or complex medical conditions. Many such kids are between treatments and need not be in a hospital. But going ‘home’ alone, with medical needs where family suddenly become nursing staff, can be overwhelming for everyone. We believe in providing a free place for families to exhale, and t just be family again. For a decade our many programs have done just that. Now our mission needs a forever home.
OUR STORY
Ladybug House was founded by Suzanne Gwynn RN, a dedicated nurse with 35+ years of experience primarily in pediatric care/oncology. Suzanne recognized the urgent need for family-centered respite that is unattainable in a hospital and unavailable outside of them*. A special place, addressing needs that are not part of the hospitalization model became her vision: A sanctuary where young patients and their entire families receive not only most needed support, but once stabilized, also the emotional, community and tangible support in the ways most helpful and least available. What are those ways? Decades of nursing experience, combined with new research: In 2016 Suzanne enlisted the help of local medical students and universities to conduct a study of what exactly these families most need according to themselves. Since that study Ladybug House has refined those programs. *91% of US counties offer no such support. (link to graphic and study/ chart of pdf) and Ladybug House is changing that. The programs have operated out of a gifted office and now the Ladybug House can be built to design.
OUR VISION
All of our hours are for “visiting ours”
As a non-profit, the primary goal of LadybugHouse is to build the first home in the state for children w/ serious or complex medical conditions and their families. We will offer a free place for family respite and specialized support during this very greatest of life’s challenges: A challenge hospitals are not designed nor equipped nor paid by insurance to meet. Our house will be a 24/7, restorative gathering place for family and friends. A place where volunteer nurses do the tough things, and loved ones respite together. This is a challenge that Ladybug House meets uniquely and holistically, making every moment of every life something to celebrate, together. All of our hours are for “visiting ours” for friends, family, even for occasional pet visitors in a special room we’ve planned! We say, “Have that loud movie night, a campfire, football party or chill sleepover. We’ve got this!”
JOIN THE JOURNEY
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JOIN THE JOURNEY -
GUIDING PRINCIPALS
WHAT WE OFFER
Ladybug House will offer a range of services via a multi-disciplinary team designed to support our mission:
Family suites to keep loved ones together
Therapy rooms for music, art, and sensory exploration
A media room and areas for meditation, reflection, and prayer
An interactive playground and a physical therapy room
A family-style kitchen with a full-time cook and amenities for families to prepare their own meals
A dedicated space for family and service pets
Meet Suzanne Gwynn, R.N., Founder of Ladybug House
Suzanne has spent over 35 years as a dedicated nurse in both the U.S. and Canada. Early in her career, she worked in labor and delivery and then specialized in adolescent medicine and with an array of complex medical illnesses. She began working at Fred Hutchison on the pediatric BMT Unit, then at Seattle Children’s as well as Swedish. Suzanne witnessed, firsthand, the urgent need for respite care beyond the hospital setting for both patients and their families. Her journey has welcomed her to address prestigious institutions, had her invited to the White House, and presently her influence in healthcare extends across generations.
LADYBUG HOUSE COMMUNITY
A community of people who believe that life should be celebrated every day!
Compassionate Americans are working to make Seattle a beacon of caring for children, adolescents, and young adults with serious life illnesses and their families in a home filled with life, love, and respect. To make Ladybug House a reality, we rely on community investments of time, money and resources. Together we are designing the future of pediatric palliative care.
Local sponsors and community partners are also generously partnering with our organization.
Together we are building the vision.
GET INVOLVED
We invite you to join us in making a difference. Whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word, your support is vital in helping us build Ladybug House and provide the care that every child and family deserves