Dr. Mohannad Al-Samarraie MD

If I could give 0 stars I would. My 1 year old son had been bruising since April and they were just very odd bruises and in weird spots with no explanation. I have a very active 4 year old and I knew this was not normal. His pediatrician was VERY helpful in giving me the referrals to hematologist because his blood work was coming up normal. We were going to chkd but I just felt like I was not being taken seriously there with it already being July/August and having no answers. So I decided to go to vcu because I had heard great things. No one and I mean no one in that er was helpful. If anything all they did was make me feel like I was doing something wrong. Even though I was giving them all the dr appointments we had been going to, they still made me feel bad.They made my son have ct scans and X-rays to make sure he had no fractures and HE IN FACT DID NOT. They said they were going to admit him for one night to observe. Then they sent social services in there and let me just tell you they were rude and the most unfriendliest people. I dealt with four different only one of them was nice to me. One of them was so rude To me, especially when I asked her I don’t understand why y’all are questioning me And why we can’t be discharged. I felt so trapped because they did not discharge us until 2 days later after my husband made a huge scene. I felt like they had no intentions of helping us. But Vcus hematology is another story. We had a follow up with them 2 days later and they had figured out what was wrong with my son and gave me a diagnosis. So I am very thankful for the hematology department.

I really enjoyed our visit at Children Hospital of Richmond at VCU. The nurses, Anesthesiologist technicians, doctors, and Dr. Dodson are awesome people. My girls really were in good hands. I want to say Thank You so much for your service, compassion, and support through the whole time at Children Hospital Of Richmond at VCU. You are beautiful people !!

It’s been a few months & I still can’t stop thinking about it. It will even keep me up at night sometimes, I wish I could take this experience away from him. My son was 3 at the time of this visit. I had a friend speak highly of this hospital, I’ve brought him on one other occasion & the nurses were wonderful with him. When my son got sick again, I knew I wanted to bring him back here… I came in after my son had some sort of cold that didn’t go away after 3 weeks. The wait at the hospital was long which I don’t mind, I understand! & the nurses who took his X-rays were great & sweet! I sure wish I knew their names to praise their manners… & I wish I knew the name of the nurse that performed the horrendous COVID test on my son…. I was a bit hesitant at first, but I had my own Covid test done when he was born & it wasn’t bad. I thought surely she wouldn’t shove that whole stick in his tiny little nose…. But that’s exactly what this monster did. I asked her if that was necessary & she said it used to be done worse… I noticed a little bit of spotting on the q tip and she insisted it could be the cold medicine she tried to FORCE him to take ( instead of simply trying one time & then offering me to try )… not even moments later but as soon as she left the room his nostril was profusely bleeding…. His shirt had trails of blood, the sleeve of my jacket had trails of blood, his neck had trails of bled. At the moment of the test, I heard him stop breathing for a moment and his body froze like he was in shock, & as soon as she pulled it out my 3 year old son clung on me like he was a little baby again…. My son is 4 now & recently received his 4 shots for school and I have yet to see him react the way he did this night…. WHY ARE YOU WORKING WITH CHILDREN IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH THEM OR DONT LIKE THEM… I work for a pediatric dentistry & the whole point is to make the experience as least traumatizing as possible. You don’t ever want to use force & you are careful and gentle with the words you use and what you do…. She seemed like she didn’t even want to be there & she didn’t even try. Ever since this experience my son is scared to be in any doctor setting, and I understand. I cringe at the memory of what I saw and I feel I failed as a mother to protect him…. It was a horrible mistake I wish I could go back in time and say no… I wish I knew what I knew now, which is that I could’ve performed the test instead of that vile woman. I wish I trusted my gut… I wish he knew I had no part in it I thought I was doing what was best for him. I wish I knew this woman’s name, although the health system would never do anything about it. At the very least this woman deserves to be written up for the way she man handled my son. On top of that, the Doctor we had was of no helo. He left us with no answers & couldn’t even admit he just simply didn’t know. He came in & told me to check mychart for the results & we would be discharged with cold medicine. We left the hospital at 5 AM after arriving the night before. I WILL NEVER BRING HIM BACK HERE AND I HAVENT. I took my son to Bon Secours children’s hospital at st Mary’s, the nurses were lovely and I am more cautious. I recommend going here instead….

Every person from scheduling to post operative care was exceptional. The hospital/pavilion is clean and so inviting for children. From the pint-sized furniture to the Star Wars builds and scattered fun decor, it is truly a step above other children’s hospitals.

The doctors and nurses are so kind, well educated, and ready to help. They are very responsive to messages and prompt with action. I really have appreciated their care for my daughter. It’s also very clean, I’m always impressed at how spotless it is compared to other places.