Mission Statement

The Advisory Group (TAG) is an informal group of family and friends of the Massachusetts Hospital School working together with MHS staff to support and enhance the development and delivery of services to the children and young adults MHS serves.

During this first year we have chosen to focus on two objectives:

• Development, including public relations, marketing, fund-raising, volunteers
• Communications

Other areas of activity will be:

• Partner with staff to ensure family centered care
• Plan for new programs and initiatives
• Participate on some hospital committees
• Provide emotional support, e.g., Parent Mentor Program

CONTACT US AT: www.mhsinfo.com

State House Letters

 --My name is Michael McCarthy. I am the father of Caitlin McCarthy a beautiful young lady who just turned 13 two weeks ago. While my wife Doreen was carrying Caitlin she was diagnosed with Cancer six months into her pregnancy. The tumor wasn't near any major organs so we decided to go forward with the pregnancy. The doctors talked about delivering Caitlin at 34 weeks, but Caitlin decided to be born naturally at 32 weeks at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Caitlin was born on October 9, 1996 and weighed 2lbs 14ozs. The doctors wanted my wife Doreen to recover from giving birth before they would start treatment on her cancer. As we were in the NICU at the hospital they asked us if they could perform an MRI on Caitlin's brain. This was a study on Premature babies they were doing. I said as long as it’s not going to hurt Caitlin and could help babies in the future that it was ok. Well two days later we received more devastating news that they had discovered something in the MRI to Caitlin's brain. That something as we now know is that Caitlin has Cerebral Palsy. I began to question the man upstairs how could he do this to us. We had a healthy daughter Michaela at home and now we have to deal with my wife's cancer and Caitlin being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy which she will have for the rest of her life.
I am a Massachusetts State Trooper and live in Bridgewater I received a lot of help from my family, friends, and neighbors during this time. My wife received treatment of chemo and radiation at Dana Faber Hospital. In June of 1997 we received more devastating news that my wife's cancer had metastasized into her lungs and that she would have to start up treatment again. My wife put up a strong and courageous battle for two years and on July 12, 1998 she passed away. I was left with the task of raising two young girls and one being handicapped with CP by myself.
When Caitlin was three yrs old a social worker told me they had an Early Beginnings Program at the campus of MHS in Canton. Caitlin received all her therapies there and they performed many early intervention aspects for her. Caitlin stayed there for three years. She loved the teachers and her therapists and thrived in the program there.
At the age of 7 Caitlin was ready to move on. I decided to send her up to the main campus at The Mass. Hospital School. Caitlin would become a Day Student were she would travel back and forth from Bridgewater to Canton Monday thru Friday. At the school Caitlin would receive all her educational, medical and rehabilitative services provided by the school. During the summer months Caitlin attends the summer program at the school where they have all sorts of recreational programs for the kids. They do boating, horseback riding, windsurfing and arts and crafts. They also receive all their therapies during the summer. These children have a blast during the summer, and I myself know I would never be able to provide Caitlin with all these recreational activities. Without the school these children would not receive all these programs at one location, and I as a single parent would have to drive Caitlin everywhere.
The school has been great to me and my daughter and if Caitlin had it her way she would attend 365 days of the year. I have seen my daughter over the years of attending the Mass. Hospital School become proficient in driving a power wheelchair, she has learned to talk more and more each day, she can eat her meals on her own, and she is so much more outgoing. Caitlin is on the waiting list to become a live in student where the child stays overnight Sunday thru Friday this I believe will be great for Caitlin and will provide her with even more opportunities towards independence. The school has done a great job to help Caitlin on her ultimate goal of being able to achieve a level of independence in the community.
In closing I feel absolutely comfortable in sending my daughter to The Mass Hospital School, knowing that the school will do everything possible to help us achieve that level of independence for Caitlin. The Mass. Hospital School has made my life as a single parent with a handicapped child extremely easier. My daughter and many other students have come along way and we have the staff and volunteers of the Mass. Hospital School to thank for that.

--Today is October 20, 2009 and luckily our daughter Amy Spindler is at the Massachsusetts Hospital School where she needs to be! I pause to reflect on the year that was...
This year was a challenging one for our nation, the economy, and personally for our family.  By ‘family’ I mean my husband David, my 20 year old son Michael, and myself who live in Ashland, and our daughter Amy, 17, and the rest of our extended family who live at Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton.
Last year on this day our MHS family was 110 strong.  Last year on this day, Amy was relatively healthy in the scope of her many medical challenges.
But in just a year’s time we’ve seen too many changes at Massachusetts Hospital School.  In a year’s time we mourned the death of some of the most precious people in this world.  We welcomed in new residents and families with open arms. We bid farewell to those who turned twenty- two.  And in June we mourned the loss of 12 residential placement spots lost in mandated state budgetary cuts.
In a year’s time Amy saw more than twenty different medical specialties on multiple occasions at MHS.  Some were involved regularly in her care, but now all were summoned to help with mysterious medical developments related to a malfunctioning medication pump.  A year later she is still in the evaluative phase of this issue.  But a year later she luckily has access to her medically necessary physician, nursing and therapeutic interventions.
A year later MHS is the least restrictive environment for Amy to receive her education too.  And luckily during this year as in countless others where her medical care clearly takes a front seat she was fortunate enough to be hospitalized at MHS where she had access to educational services at Brayton School that were adapted and continually modified to her rapidly changing needs.
And then we look at our own personal lives.  We live quickly.  We are busy.  But we need to stop and reflect on the year that was so we can prepare for the one that is about to happen.
For most of us, this is a year we are happy to put behind us.  But we need to pause and reflect: what has been our effect on MHS this past year?  I am proud of the positive contributions Amy and our family have made. We have been active members of The Advisory Group, we mentored other families just beginning their MHS journey and we took active part in a campaign to preserve funding for MHS.
Please stop and reflect on the positive ways you have influenced MHS.  Thank you for accompanying us while meeting Commissioner Auerbach and Commissioner Chester. Thank you to those who supported DPH Hospitals during the grueling budgetary process.  And thank you to those who visited our campus to see first hand:  MHS is a unique hospital setting that provides exceptional comprehensive medical care and education services for our most fragile children.  There is no setting like it…it is the least restrictive setting for the children who live there!
I am saddened by the changes that have occurred.  I take but a brief moment to tally my regrets.
I need to be forward thinking and plan for the year ahead! I need Amy to continue having her needs met at MHS.  I dream that a waiting list of 40 plus applicants like my daughter have the same opportunity.  So today I ask you to take notice of all you see and hear…and I thank you for your interest and support… with that I am optimistic!