NEW ORLEANS— Maverrick is two months old, and he recently had a major heart surgery at Children’s Hospital.  His family has slept in chairs to facilitate his hospital stay, so the opening of the Hogs For the Cause Family Center is great news for them.

Katelyn Soileau,  Maverrick’s mom told us, “It’s amazing to know that we are going to be able to have a full night’s rest some nights. To be able to have a shower, have a little bit of quietness, not the beeping machines and doctors in a little bit of peace of mind.”

The things we all take for granted mean so much when our children are ill, and the hope from ‘Hogs For the Cause’ is to provide some comfort to these families.

Hogs Founder/CEO Becker Hall says, “When a child’s receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital, you know you’re getting exceptional physical care, but there’s a massive emotional and mental drain that comes with getting treatment, not only for the child but the parents of as well and the whole family.”

That brings us back to Maverrick.  At best, this courageous little boy will be going home in a couple of weeks.  Now it’s a couple of weeks of relative comfort for his family, while taking care of him.  Like many others, Maverrick’s family is from another part of our state.

“The families face a lot of challenges. They have to travel great distances; they have to find a place to stay. We’re a rural state, and we provide superlative health care for children from all over this state, but can you imagine if you’re from Alexandria and you have an 8 am surgery? It’s not easy to get here,” said Dr. Raymond G. Watts, Children’s Hospital Pediatrician-in-Chief and Professor and Head of Pediatrics at LSU Health New Orleans.