Thursday, June 18, 2015
Sisters Nyla and Kyla McCotter represented Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, along with parents Amanda Viera and Willie McCotter and staff from YNHH, at this year’s Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. The McCotters were among 44 families and 38 children’s hospitals throughout the United States who visited Capitol Hill to advocate for children’s health on June 15-16. While there, the family met with federal legislators, including Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Senator Chris Murphy, to discuss the importance of Medicaid to families of children with complex health care needs.
Nyla and Kyla were both diagnosed with sickle cell disease at a young age. As a result of health challenges they’ve faced living with the disease, the sisters have spent a lot of time at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, both in the emergency department and as inpatients. Although Nyla and Kyla battle their disease every day, they are full of life and love — and enjoy singing, dancing, playing basketball, arts and crafts, raising dogs and spending time with their family.
Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day is a yearly event sponsored by the Children’s Hospital Association. Learn more about Speak Now for Kids and the Children’s Hospital Association.
Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH), part of Yale New Haven Health, is a nationally recognized, 1,541-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale School of Medicine (YSM). Founded as the fourth voluntary hospital in the U.S. in 1826, today, YNHH has two New Haven-based campuses, and also includes Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital. YNHH has received Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s highest honor of nursing excellence. YNHH has a combined medical staff of about 4,500 university and community physicians practicing in more than 100 specialties. www.ynhh.org
