JKF Journal: At the Ivy Bookshop

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

At the Ivy Bookshop

Last week I had a book signing at the local Ivy Bookshop in my hometown of Baltimore. The Ivy- wedged between a Blockbuster and a men's clothing store just a mile from my house- has been a part of my book journey from the very beginning.

I had fallen into a good routine with the writing- after dropping the children off at school I would sit down in front of my laptop and start to write. It took about four hours of writing before the silence would start to bother me and the loneliness would set in. It was then that I knew I needed to head to the Ivy. It felt good to be surrounded by the books that covered every possible inch of the little store. I would usually buy a book, but the real reason I was there was because of Bonnie, Shirley, Alice and Greg. Every time I walked into the store they would ask me how the book was coming and they would say, "One day we will have a book signing party for you."

For a long time no one knew I was writing a book. But my friends at the Ivy did, and for two years they encouraged me and pushed me along. I never thought the day would come when my book would be lining the Ivy shelves, much less find a place in the front window, but it did. As Josie's Story tiptoed into the world, the book events began to fill my calendar- with the Ivy event set for Sunday, September 13.

I wasn't sure what would be worse: standing in front of 1,000 health care professionals- total strangers- or standing in front of the community in which I lived. What if no one showed up? What if they hated the book?

The Sunday afternoon was beautiful- not too hot. The sun had lowered itself behind the building just enough to provide the perfect amount of shade for the guests who sat outside in chairs that were lined up amphitheater-style. Tables of food surrounded the edges.

Dr. Peter Pronovost- a doctor from Hopkins who over the years had not only become a partner in my quest to improve patient safety, but had become my friend- introduced me to the guests. As I had seen so many times before, Peter captivated the audience with his brilliance, his charisma and his humility.

I had jotted down some notes on what I was going to say, but as I stood behind the podium I realized that I didn't need my notes. These were my friends, my family. I've learned that sometimes- actually, always- it is best just to speak from the heart. It does not matter who is in the audience- whether it is a large group of nurses and doctors or a small group of family and friends. All that matters is the message. If you have a message that you are passionate about, it will just sort of find its way from your head, through your heart, and right on out into the world.

I signed books with Sam my seven-year-old by my side. Friends would ask him to sign his name next to mine. With a black Sharpie pen gripped tightly between his little fingers, he concentrated hard and signed his name in perfect Calvert script. It became a book signing not just for me, but for my entire family with Jack, Relly and Eva filling requests to sign their names alongside Sam's. This was not just my journey. This was their journey, their story.

Thank you to Darielle Linehan and the Ivy Bookshop for getting so behind Josie's Story. Not only did they put on a beautiful event, but they also agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds to the Josie King Foundation. The little Ivy Bookshop is truly a bookstore with a heart- a BIG heart- and a desire to make a difference in people's lives.

Thank you to Peter Pronovost, whose work continues to transform health care for us all.

Most of all, thank you to my family and friends for coming out to support Josie's Story.

Labels: Book, by Sorrel

7 Comments:

At September 27, 2009 at 3:53 AM , Team Harris said...

Sorrel... I am in absolute awe of the work that you do. I am a registered nurse and I work with the neonatal population. I recently oriented for a new job in a new hospital. As part of our patient services orientation, we watched you speak about Josie's story on video. I'm not sure there was a dry eye to be found.

Josie's story really hit my heart hard. As a nurse, I never, EVER want to be in a position of making such a mistake. I thank you for sharing your story because it reminds us as nurses that we give FAMILY-centered care. The patient is not the only patient. Indeed we care for their entire family. Thank you for reminding us to slow down, to look at the bigger picture, to listen to our intuition, and to listen to families, who know these patients far better than we could ever hope to.

I am terribly sorry for your loss. It hurts my heart so much because as a nurse, I feel some sense of responsibility in that loss. I also have two children of my own and to think of life without either of them is too much to bear.

Thank you for turning your grief and anger into something that so many of us can learn from. I am certain that your work is far reaching and that other children and adults will be more protected as a result.

As a side note, the hospital that I oriented to is Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, WA. They take this issue very seriously and I have thus far been very, very impressed with the checks and balances they have in place. But ultimately, it comes down to individuals standing up and doing the right thing. I hope to always emulate that.

My very best wishes to you and your family,

Christina Harris, RN
Federal Way, WA
At September 30, 2009 at 2:33 PM , shenille boston said...

Sorrel,
Both Josie and you are truly an inspiration. Thanks so much for sharing your pain in efforts to help others not have to go through something so tragic and preventable. I was excited to come across this announcement on AHRQ website today regarding implementation of "Family Activated Pediatric Response Team" at North Carolina's Childrens Hospital as well as a similar program at Pittsburgh Children's hospital (I've attached link below). Of course, we need more hospitals to do this!! Thanks for your efforts. I will continue to support financially. Please continue to share what else people can do to keep Josie's spirit alive and help other children and families. Sincerely, Shenille Boston
http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/content.aspx?id=2435
At October 24, 2009 at 4:27 AM , Teresa Haider RN said...

It's 3am and I just finished your article in Good Housekeeping magazine while waiting for my patient to come out of the OR. I've worked at a 400+ bed trauma hospital for over 29 years and had no idea our RRT (rapid response team) was a result of your efforts! They are available any time of day for the nursing staff to call in whenever we feel a patient has "something going on" that makes us uneasy and we need a second opinion or someone else to confirm our concerns and form a plan of action. You have turned your loss of Josie into the most sensible, practical and useful hospital advancement, the creation of the RRT! Thank you for your efforts and perseverance in making this happen. Josie should be considered the guardian angel of all who have been hospitalized and the staff who take care of them!
At December 24, 2009 at 9:01 AM , Donna said...

Dear Sorrel,

I know that you do not remember me but I was Marlene Miller's asst. before moving to another office in the Children's Ctr. Anyway, I just finished reading your book (I had known about Josie's story) which is absolutely incredible. In 2002, my son Matthew had a T&A at Hopkins. After surgery, as the nurses were preparing to give him pain medication, they realized that they were about to give him too much. Because of your work, the dosage was double and possibly triple checked and the error was caught.

Please continue your wonderful work in helping to save lives. As you look into the sky this Christmas Eve, I know that Josie will be smiling down at you.

Merry Christmas.

Donna Rosenthal
drosent2@jhmi.edu
At January 26, 2010 at 9:43 AM , JosieKingFoundation said...

@Christina Harris:

Christina,

Thank you so much for posting to our blog! Your message is so heart warming. You speak the words that every patient and every family member always wants to hear from their caregivers. Yes, family-centered care is KEY. And yes, medical professionals MUST slow down and listen; that perhaps is the most important and easiest piece of the puzzle. Good Samaritan has already taken one wise step in hiring such a kind and conscientious person in you. I am trilled that you find their system of checks and balances for patient care impressive. Continue to be the role model that you certainly are and I am sure the Hospital will continue to thrive and succeed!

Thank you again for your kind words!
At January 26, 2010 at 9:45 AM , JosieKingFoundation said...

@Shenille

I truly thank you for your support!

It seems like Pediatric Response Teams are spreading across the country. It is truly a wonderful thing! It was thrilling to see programs opening both at Pittsburgh's Children's as well as North Carolina's Children's. Hopefully, with continued success, more and more programs will be implemented. Thank you for your continued support of our efforts. Without individuals like you, our efforts would be lost! Thank you for your repeated kindness!
At January 26, 2010 at 9:45 AM , JosieKingFoundation said...

@Teresa Haider

Thank you so much for taking the time to post to our blog. It really means such a great deal to us to hear from nurses who have been positively impacted by what we have done. I had never really thought of Josie in those terms, as a "guardian angel" for those in the hospital and the nurses and doctors watching over them. It is a special and unique way to look at the gift that a rapid response team gives to a hospital!

We are thrilled that you find that the program is having a positive effect on heath care and safety in the hospital setting. Please continue to check in on our website to see all the new projects that we are unveiling in our continued quest for safety in medicine!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

At the Ivy Bookshop

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