PORT REPUBLIC, Md. (August 18, 2010) – Local author Barbara L. Patterson knows firsthand how hard it is for youngsters to handle hospital visits with their families. When her older daughter was hospitalized and placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), her younger daughter had much to come to grips with. Thus, the inspiration for Patterson’s first book, “PICU Did You Know?”
In the book, young Ava is visiting her sister in the hospital and can't figure out just what a PICU is. On her way to finding out, Ava discovers her role in the family during the crisis and holds on to hope for her sister, Katie.
Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide, as well as online at amazon.com.
Patterson has spent her career in hospital finance and is a pending member of the Parent Advisory Board for the PICU of Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. She and her family currently reside in Port Republic, Maryland.