Before You Take Off

BY SHAFER ROSS

Top: With St. Jude Children’s Hospital being such a draw for Memphis International Airport, the Concourse B Modernization project currently underway will see the addition of a lounge specifically for St. Jude patients.

Above: The St. Jude Children’s Lounge features include a kitchenette, video entertainment, colorful seating upholstered in antimicrobial fabrics, screens showing flight information and private spaces that provide quiet and isolation. W hen many think of traveling, they imagine tropical vacations and exotic getaways; unfortunately, not every trip is planned with relaxation or even business in mind. Thousands travel every day to seek or receive medical care, and at Memphis International Airport (MEM), many of those are children on their way to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

St. Jude, a hospital notable for its work in treating life-threatening conditions in young children – specifically cancer – is a Memphisbased facility that sees many children and families passing through MEM each year.

“Memphis is the home of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. We get a lot of patients from around the globe,” said MEM Director Scott Brockman in an AXiNterviews video published earlier this year. With the hospital being such a draw for the airport, the Concourse B Modernization project currently underway provides a prime opportunity to further accommodate young travelers on their way home from diagnosis or treatment.

“As part of this concourse, we’ve put in a St. Jude Children’s Room where kids that have come into town to be treated have a place to escape while they’re in the airport before they board their flight,” Brockman said in the interview. “A lot of those kids have been through some very challenging treatments. To make that travel experience easier and better for them, we’ve put in this St. Jude’s Children’s Room in partnership with the hospital. They will manage the room and make it a much better experience for them.”

The space will also function as a liaison point for hospital staff meeting or coordinating with arriving and departing patients. Many of the accommodations and furnishings in the St. Jude Children’s Room were designed by the hospital’s team with relaxation and peace in mind.

“For a lot of our families, their travel to St. Jude is the first time they’re leaving their hometown,” says Caron Byrd, director, housing and patient services at St. Jude. “We wanted to create a very welcoming and inviting space to accommodate either a family who has an hour before their flight or has just learned their flight has been delayed and will be at the airport longer than anticipated.”

The room’s features include a kitchenette, video entertainment, colorful seating upholstered in antimicrobial fabrics, screens showing flight information and private spaces that provide quiet and isolation.

“We understand that children from around the world benefit from the incredible medical care and services provided by St. Jude,” Glen Thomas, director of strategic marketing and communications and public information officer for MEM. “We also understand that these patients may have special needs and this lounge will help to allow them to travel in comfort. We want to make travel as efficient, safe and enjoyable as possible for them.” The space is not yet open, though hopes are that the project will be wrapped up by the end of the year.

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