Pair fund NW children's hospital chapel

Robin and Gary George have been longtime supporters of Arkansas Children’s Hospital. They are pictured with their grandchildren (back row, from left) Hayden and Bailey and (front row, from left) Carter, Gary (holding Beckett), Robin (holding Lillian), Campbell, Asher and Garrick.
Robin and Gary George have been longtime supporters of Arkansas Children’s Hospital. They are pictured with their grandchildren (back row, from left) Hayden and Bailey and (front row, from left) Carter, Gary (holding Beckett), Robin (holding Lillian), Campbell, Asher and Garrick.

Robin and Gary George of ­Springdale have donated $1 million to finance a chapel at Arkansas Children's Northwest.

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NWA Democrat-Gazette

Construction continues at the site for the Arkansas Children’s Northwest Hospital in Springdale.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A map showing the future location of Arkansas Children’s Northwest.

The future 233,613-square-foot hospital, which will be near Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, is set to open in January 2018.

The chapel will be named the Robin George Chapel in recognition of her long-term involvement in the Pastoral Care Department at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, where she worked to start a prayer list for patients. The prayer request list is now sent each week to more than 1,000 people who pray for the children placed on the list by their parents and caregivers.

The Georges have been longtime advocates for Arkansas Children's Hospital, and Robin George has served on the hospital's foundation board since 2002. The couple and David and Cathy Evans donated 37 acres of land for the hospital. (Cathy Evans and Gary George are the grandchildren of C.L. George, who founded the poultry company George's Inc., headquartered in Springdale.)

Robin George said the donation for the chapel was a gift from her husband.

"He knew how important the chapel was to me," she said. "We've been at Children's over the years for different instances with family and friends, and he knew I would love it."

The family first found themselves at Arkansas Children's Hospital in 1982 when their 2-week-old son, Charles, was suffering heart failure.

"I can remember that day," George said. "We entered the lobby doors and I looked up and there was a statement that said 'Fear not, this space of care, love and hope is for you.' They met each of those needs during that visit and over the years when we've been back. And, the chapel played an extremely important part in our experience."

Brent Fairchild, director of pastoral care at Arkansas Children's Hospital, said the chapel is part of the pastoral care provided at the hospital and that will be provided at the Springdale location.

"Within the pastoral care department we provide for the spiritual and emotional care of patients, families and staff," Fairchild said.

In Little Rock, the hospital has three full-time chaplains and four who work part time.

"We're visiting with families going through deep crises and going through times of emotional distress, as well," Fairchild said. "We're at the bedside a lot of times talking with them to help them cope with whatever the illness is at the time."

Chaplains also respond to trauma rooms to be with patients who have been in car wrecks, accidents or have suffered other emergencies. Chaplains are there when a patient receives a heart or kidney transplant or during any major operation. The chaplains also help those experiencing a crisis of faith.

"Sometimes during an illness people begin to question what's going on in their own life and they need someone to talk with them and walk with them," he said. "Also on the good side, we walk with families when they have come through their crisis and are going home."

They also help the staff when they are overwhelmed.

Fairchild said the pastoral care program at the Springdale location also will provide for the spiritual care of patients, family and staff and the Robin George Chapel will be an integral part of the care provided.

"With a chapel I always say it's not just a chapel, it's a sanctuary," he said. "It's a place where you can pull away and de-stress, a place where you can refill your own spiritual basket in order to bring about more strength within yourself.

"The chapel is that place folks can come to and offer their prayers and they don't have to feel like people are watching them. It's a place they know they are in a safe zone."

Fairchild said a hospital chapel is another way of treating the whole child, as well as the family.

As in Little Rock, the chapel at Arkansas Children's Northwest will be a space of welcome and solace for those of all faiths or none.

Robin George said having a chapel is vital for the hospital, and she hopes others will find the same comfort and hope in the Northwest Arkansas chapel that she found in Little Rock.

"I want everyone that enters in to just receive the help and the hope they are looking for, the grace to get through that day and the strength," she said.

Christie Storm can be reached by email at storm@nwadg.com.

Religion on 07/30/2016

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