In celebration of the season, Maynard Children’s Hospital patients, families and team members had a chance to recognize Halloween and bring a sense of normalcy around the day.
Team members from across ECU Health and some community groups came together inside the children’s hospital to dress up and let the children see some of their favorite characters, like Mario, Woody and Buzz from Toy Story, and everyone from Inside Out.
Some tables set up inside Maynard Children’s Hospital even offered interactive games for the kids to play while they were picking up goodies from each team. Those involved said this is one of the most special events of the year, where teams can share a bit of normalcy with the youngest patients at ECU Health Medical Center.
Amanda Jones, a child life specialist at Maynard Children’s Hospital, said she’s grateful to work with a team whose role is to put a smile on children’s faces.
“That’s part of our role here, we try to bring some fun to Maynard Children’s Hospital,” Jones said. “Kids and their families have to be here, so we just try to celebrate holidays, celebrate milestones and bring some of their home to them while they’re in the hospital.”
Jones said while the event takes a lot of planning and organizing, the team member engagement makes it easy to pull together and generate excitement. After four years of hosting a parade outside of Maynard Children’s Hospital, the event moved back indoors this year for a more interactive experience for patients and families.
One of those patients was Aleksandra, who was dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast during the event. She said it made her day to see the Minecraft booth set up from one of the teams.
“It was fun to go trick-or-treating and see all the booths. There were so many different booths, it was just really fun,” she said. “Being able to do this with other people, who some of them might have the same condition as me, that was a good memory.”
Her mother, Lydia, said she was grateful for her daughter to have something to look forward to for Halloween while she’s in the hospital. For herself, Lydia said it was nice to see Aleksandra and so many other children light up as they went through the different booths.
“It’s wonderful that they put on an event like this so that all of the children who are missing out on Halloween get this experience,” Lydia said. “I love seeing them have the moment of just being a kid, wearing a costume and forgetting for a day that they’re in the hospital.”
Lydia said she had a great time watching her daughter, other patients and even parents interacting with an Inside Out booth, complete with a replica console from the movie.
Tara Stroud, vice president of Women’s and Children Services, said team members step up in many ways to be there for the patients and families served at Maynard Children’s Hospital and this event is a true example of that commitment.
“There’s something about being able to work in a children’s hospital and really give the child the experience of being a child, whether they’re sick or not,” she said. “It gives a heartwarming feeling to the team to know that we’re going to make a difference – whether it’s caring for them medically or it’s just putting a smile on their face.”
