SPRINGDALE (KFSM) -- Families in Northwest Arkansas are counting down the days for Arkansas Children's Northwest to open its doors.
Tawny Pruitt's 3-year-old son, Collin, is battling Neuroblastoma, and is anticipating the grand opening. Every ten days she and her husband drive three hours to Little Rock to visit their son. Both parents work and this is their opportunity to see their son.
"We definitely are ready for it (hospital) to be open. We need it to be open," Pruitt explained.
Slightly above budget the more than 200,000 square-foot is a month behind schedule. But is set to open after the first of the year in 2018.
"Its been very challenging as in how to split your time up with having two kids, one here and one spending most of their time in Little Rock. In the past month we've probably spent twelve days home." Pruitt said.
Hospital officials are fighting to stay on schedule to ease the stress from families like Tawny's.
"The hospital will be a success when the first sick child and its family don’t have to uproot their lives and travel three hours to get the care they need," said President and CEO of Arkansas Children's Hospital Mary Doderer.