For kids and families at UPMC Children’s, a time of year that should be filled with joy and magic is often scary, stressful, and worrisome. Thankfully, our staff work tirelessly to create a little magic for families spending their holidays in the hospital.
Special event coordinator in the Child Life Department, Becky Desmond, says, “some of the events we hold are to provide a sense of normalcy to our patients – they mimic things they would normally be doing at home – while others are fun opportunities that come up because they are here with us.”
Child Life is an invaluable service at UPMC Children’s, providing emotional, social, and educational support to children of all ages. Supported solely through philanthropy, the Child Life team brings magic to the hospital in many special ways! Here are just a few:
Santa Claus Parade
Santa is coming to UPMC Children’s! Due to the high volume of patients and significant number under isolation precautions, Santa “parades” through the units, saying hello, waving, and passing out small goodies (candy canes for staff and parents, activity books for kids).
Elf on the Shelf and Letters to Santa
All month long, each inpatient unit has its very own Elf on the Shelf to watch over the kids, and patients will have the opportunity to write their own letters to Santa right from the hospital!
Virtual Santa Visit
Santa calls in from the North Pole to talk one-on-one with patients from their rooms. Each patient who visits with Santa receives a soft, warm blanket to cuddle up with while they wait for Christmas morning.
Patient Holiday Shop
Patients will have the opportunity to “shop” for gifts for their families. The holiday shop will feature free goodies for patients to choose from.
Cookies for Santa
Who doesn’t love to leave out cookies for Santa? On Christmas Eve, cookies are provided to patients who want to leave them out for Santa. We’ve learned over the years, that Santa enjoys nibling on sweet treats as he makes his rounds throughout the units delivering toys to kids spending their holidays in the hospital.
The dedicated staff in Child Life, nurses, doctors, and so many others work all year to make sure patients and families have an exceptional experience at UPMC Children’s, but during the holidays, the magic they create makes an incredible difference.
A gift today is at the heart of holiday magic in the hospital. Without your giving, these hardworking individuals would not be able to create magic for patients and families at the holidays.