I’m heartened to hear all these answers. Now I’m curious–what percentage of colleges still offer overnight infirmaries? I remember needing mine once during my senior year when I had mono. I dragged myself up there at midnight, unable to swallow, and spent the night being tended to. Not sure what I would have done if they hadn’t been open…
My son wound up in an ambulance to the ER as a freshman. He had issues related to kidney stones. He didn’t want me to come, so I did not. I would have been in a minute if he wanted me there, or if the situation was serious enough that I’d don’t care what he wanted. This last fall he got mono. Again, he did not want me to come. My guess is he had someone helping take care of him for this illness. (maybe the person who gave it to him 
)
Life’s too short to take a stand when my kids need me.
I would be on the plane if they were sick enough to want or need me there.
I did not go for when they were suffering from Mono. However, I did come when S was admitted to the hospital with a newly diagnosed chronic illness. Once he was discharged we checked into a hotel room for several days. I needed to know that he was going to be okay.
I would have if I could have afforded it - but on the other hand, by the time I could have gotten there, flights, connections, and time change, the crisis would have been past and problems dealt with. My daughter actually had some bonding experiences with other freshmen her freshmen year when she was extremely sick, called and asked me what to do and I told her to find someone, anyone, to walk with her to the health center. That someone ended up staying with her, accompanying her in the ambulance to the ER, and staying with her in the ER. Later her friends walked to the hospital to accompany her back to the dorm when she was discharged. She later returned the favor and accompanied friends to the ER and to the health center, including her soon to be husband. So in a way, it provided a bonding experience and allowed the kids to grow up and realize they really could do this on their own.
DD attends a LAC so no overnight infirmary. When she fainted and became disoriented last month, she called Public Safety to take her to the local hospital’s ER. I didn’t know Public Safety did such things, but at 5 a.m. on a weekday I suppose they weren’t busy and may have been too surprised by the request to refuse. I didn’t know about this until after she was released and gave me a call. DD is 21 and a junior. She sometimes calls to get virtual Mommy hugs, but I know it would have to be really and truly serious if she were to request that I fly out. If she did so, I would be there for her.
Three times makes a pattern, and she’s fainted three times in the past four years or so. Each time she’s been tired and probably dehydrated. Now I/we know. At least she only got a concussion when she fainted during an internship at a hospital. We’re so grateful to have good medical insurance.
The equivalent of “Public Safety” at my school took students to the infirmary - that was actually part of what they did/do.
Also, we did have an overnight medial place.
Absolutely, I would. And I have, for two of my Ds. One was so ill with mono that she almost ended up hospitalized. It is the sickest she’s ever been and had to defer her exams that year. The other had kidney stones and needed to have them removed surgically. Coincidentally, my mom had done the same for me, for the same reason, when I was a junior in college. 
Thankfully this never was a situation I had to deal with however if either of my d’s were sick enough and needed me to be there I would. Younger d was sick with the flu at the end of her semester abroad but she managed with the help of her apartment mates and lots of bed rest and fluids. Another student in her program however was hospitalized with blood clots and the program flew her mother over to be there. Another friend of d’s had emergency appendectomy and her mom flew down early the next day as she could not get a flight that same night and figured it was better to be available to speak to the surgeon than in transit. All was well and she stayed with d for a few days recuperating in a hotel. Another friend travelled frequently to Boston to stay in hotel several times after her DD had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic she had been given in the ER for a deep scratch by a dog that required stitches. She had several subsequent hospitalizations as her immune system was really compromised and she needed several bouts of IV fluids.
Really depends on how sick. Our kids are/were between 7- 16 hours from us. All three had the flu while in college and it never occurred to them or to me be there although I did manage to send soup. I did sign up on the “in loco parentis” thread back on the main page of parents forum so I can deliver homemade soup to kids that are in school near me!
Hasn’t happened yet with 4 kids in 13 school years of flying distance college. Keeping fingers crossed. Worst was a bad case of flu, and a twisted (not broken) ankle. Emergency appendectomy–my s-i-l flew for that (her kid was only 17). I would tend not to go unless it was really serious. I have several younger kids at home and do not live near relatives, so it would be hard for me to take off to help an adult child. I do expect my kids to be tough and deal with what comes their way. In case of a true emergency, I’d be there.
As others have said, it depends on the situation. I did fly out when one was injured and needed outpatient surgery. I did not go for mono.
We rescued DD from school, drove 3 hours up and got her, when she had a bad case of mono. She nearly passed out climbing down from her bunk, and frankly, she needed some nursing. If she had been further away, I would have flown. Mono ranges from mild to very severe and shouldn’t be taken lightly!
I got a fun phone call when S2 was in Jordan. “How high should your tempertature be before you go to the hospital?” It turned out it was 103 and he went. They gave him a bunch of stuff, luckily his Arabic was pretty good by then, then he came home and looked it all up on the Internet before deciding what he’d actually use. Thankfully whatever he had didn’t last too long.
Hell yes. I’d be on the first plane out.
Both dragons have standing orders to call 911 and get an ambulance to take them to an ER if they’re really sick.
None of this college infirmary/doc in the box crap. (this is for when they’re at camp at various college campuses for the summer). I’ve dealt with both of those types of medical waypoints enough to know not to bother with them.
When my son was a junior in college he needed hernia surgery…and given the timing it couldn’t wait. I flew out the morning of surgery and took him to a hotel overnight when he was released from the hospital. He lived in a duplex apartment and the stairs would have been too much that first night. My prescription…Mom, room service and a good night’s sleep. I took him home (to his home) the next day and flew home. Never regretted it for a minute.
One of my son’s suitemates needed emergency appendectomy surgery, and his parents were out of state, several hours away, and due to their family finances travelling was not an option… The school infirmary team brought him to the hospital. Son and another friend went to the hospital and skyped with his family, so they knew they son was well cared for. He ended up getting an infection that was scary for couple days, and the resident dean arranged plane tickets for his parents to come across the country, but his parents hemmed and hawed, and did not want to miss work or time caring for the other children. Their son recovered just fine without them.
Another of his suitemate’s mom, who is a recently retired nurse, came up to stay with them for the first week of his recovery, to be sure he was okay. Son told me the whole suite loved her chicken soup.
I would fly in a heartbeat to be with my kids, but I am glad that if it was not possible, and it was serious, there are other options. Good people pull together and everyone wants to help.
I have done this. I took a flight to go with my D when she was a freshman in college and had to have impacted wisdom teeth removed. After the surgery we checked into a hotel and D rested. The next day her friends brought her books and computer and hang out with her–we all watched movies. I left late the following day once I was sure D was recovering without a problem.
Yes I would! But fortunately for me, my daughter is only an hour away. This is such a timely question for me. My daughter is going through some stuff that requires specialists. Am I driving all over town and taking time off to go to the doctors and help her make the decisions that need to be made? You betcha! As @Chedva said “There are some things you just don’t want to do alone.”
When there is no overnight infirmary, a sick person goes to a hospital. My daughter goes to college on the opposite coast. She has been hospitalized twice - once as a sophomore with acute appendicitis requiring an appendectomy. She handled it on her own. I did not have the funds available to fly across country and back to hold her hand - much as I would have liked to do so, and I could not leave her younger brother alone here. Nor would I have arrived in time. I did speak to the surgeon by telephone beforehand. Was it difficult? One of the hardest things she’s ever done. She did it though and I am proud of how she handled it.