One morning last year, Melissa Meeks received a call from her five-year-old daughter’s school. Emily, who attends Burnet Elementary, was having a severe asthma attack. Within minutes, Emily was receiving treatments to help her breathe at the Seton Kids-Care-A-Van located at the school.
This is just one example of how the Care-A-Van, operated by Seton Highland Lakes Hospital, keeps children healthy. “There are lots of kids in this area that would be in a world of hurt without it,” said Melissa.
The Care-a-Van has cared for both of Melissa’s children since infancy. When a standard blood test revealed that her son Wyatt had a rare, genetic condition, it was a Care-a-Van nurse practitioner, Chandra Irvin, FNP, who broke the news.
“I would have just crumbled if anyone else but Chandra had delivered the news to me. It is one of the most terrifying things you could be told, but they reassured me that everything was going to be fine,” Melissa said. Today, both Wyatt and Emma are doing well. Wyatt’s condition is being closely monitored, and Emma is healthy and playing t-ball! “We couldn’t survive without the Care-a-Van,” said Melissa. “We are so grateful to have this care in our community.”
The loving staff of the Kids Care-a-Van operated by Seton Highland Lakes Hospital has cared for more than 20,000 kids since the team first hit the road in 2003. Every week, the van travels to schools in Kingsland, Granite Shoals, Marble Falls, Bertram, and Burnet. It provides children from birth through 18 with easy access to medical care and in most cases allows them to return to school the same day.