Listen to this articleSpirit Halloween is trying to make hospitals less scary for kids.
Thanks to the Egg Harbor-based seasonal retailer’s long-running Spirit of Children fundraising campaign, Virtua Health has added a specially designed sensory room in the pediatric pavilion of its Mount Holly hospital.
Spirit of Children fully funded the new space. It features comfortable, adaptive furniture as well as hands-on elements including fiber optic lights and interactive projector experiences.
Inspired by sensory rooms at the Virtua-staffed COVID-19 vaccine mega-centers in Moorestown and Mount Laurel, the design of the spaces aim to help kids decompress, self-regulate and even receive medical treatment in a setting that’s less intimidating than a standard hospital room.
The Marlton-based health care network already has similar spaces at two locations in Voorhees – the hospital and a primary care facility on Evesham Road.
Pam Gallus is assistant vice president of patient care services at Virtua’s hospitals in Mount Holly and Willingboro. “We want children receiving care at our facilities to have the best possible experience, and that means creating opportunities for calming and self-regulation,” she said.
“While we anticipate all pediatric patients will benefit from this special space, we especially look forward to providing extra support to patients with autism, ADHD, and other health considerations,” said Gallus. “To curate the best experience for these young people and their families, we must recognize each person as a unique individual.”
Longstanding partners
Since 2006, Spirit Halloween has raised and donated $127 million to more than 160 pediatric hospitals across the U.S. This year, it aims to raise an additional $17 million for partner hospitals.
That sum includes more than $1 million in child-life services at Virtua. According to Spirit Halloween, fewer than 1-in-4 of its partner hospitals nationwide has reached this benchmark.
After initially teaming up with Spirit Halloween in 2011, Virtua received a grant representing money raised in the previous Halloween shopping season. That award funded the 2018-2019 renovation of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)/Virtua pediatric emergency department – complete with a colorful underseas theme.
It also provided for a special built-in movie system for the pediatric MRI machine as well as a mock MRI machine. The latter empowers little ones to better anticipate and understand the procedure.
‘Lucky’ 13
Samantha Greenbaum, nurse director for pediatrics at Virtua Voorhees Hospital, shared, “All of these projects and offerings allow us to relate to children in a meaningful way. Parents will often express gratitude for how we engage with kids, so they feel informed about and involved in their own care.”
Now in its 13th year, 14 Spirit Locations in South Jersey will directly support Virtua in the 2024 fundraiser, according to the company.
Richard Tereo, director of the Spirit of Children Foundation, commented, “It’s been incredible to see the amazing work our South Jersey neighbors at Virtua have done through the years in helping so many children and their families. Being able to pass $1 million in donations to Virtua and seeing the sensory room open is meaningful to all of us at Spirit of Children, and we look forward to more milestones in the future.”
Getting in the Spirit
Additionally, the company hosts a Halloween party each October for children receiving care at Virtua Mount Holly and Virtua Voorhees.
The celebration includes costumed characters, arts and crafts, games, treats, and, of course, a wide array of costumes for children to select, wear and keep.
“From daily programmatic support to continuing education for Virtua’s certified child-life specialists and so much more, our work hugely benefits from the generosity of Spirit of Children and other community partners,” said Sarah Fawcett-Lee, senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer for Virtua Health.
“For a company with more than 1,500 retail locations nationwide, Spirit Halloween demonstrates an exceptionally strong understanding of what it means to support healthy communities on the local level,” said Fawcett-Lee. “Virtua is grateful to have such a terrific partner.”
Aiming for inclusivity:
- Two American Dream attractions recently earned accreditation as Certified Autism Centers. Read more here.
- Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A also includes a sensory area for little ones. See the photos here.
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