Mapp Child and Family Life Program receives $55,000 donation from Spirit of Children

To help pediatric patients, Spirit of Children recently donated $55,000 to USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital in support of its Mapp Child and Family Life Program

USA Health’s child life specialists provide procedural preparation and support, therapeutic play and other therapeutic activities for pediatric patients receiving hospital and emergency department care. They strive to create a safe, supportive environment for children, their families, and caregivers as they manage the stress of a hospital visit.

With the donation, Spirit of Children surpassed $400,000 in total donations to the hospital. Each year, local Spirit Halloween stores donate a portion of their sales through the Spirit of Children program to support the child and family life program. The funds come from donations made by shoppers at Mobile- and Baldwin-area Spirit Halloween locations and on SpiritHalloween.com.

“We continue to be blown away by the generous support provided from Spirit of Children to our child life program,” said Kim Thompson-Yates, who leads the Mapp Child and Family Life Program at Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “This funding, plus yearly donations of new costumes and other items, help ensure our patients and their caregivers have positive experiences despite challenging circumstances.”

Specifically, the Mapp Child and Family Life department uses the Spirit of Children donations to fund programs including Beads of Courage and sensory-friendly programming and equipment including tactile toys, light shows, and sound machines in the new pediatric emergency department.

Beads of Courage is an initiative that combines art and medicine for oncology and neonatal intensive care unit patients. Through the creation of a chain of beads, a child’s stay can be documented in a tangible way. Patients receive different beads for procedures, activities, and other milestones met while hospitalized. For example, if a child has an X-ray, or receives a shot, they earn a unique bead.

Spirit of Children funds were also used to purchase a state-of-the-art mobile sensory station available to patients in a dedicated sensory room in the hospital’s pediatric emergency center.

“We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Spirit of Children," said Debbie Browning, MSN, RN, CENP, hospital CEO. “Not only do they provide us with much-needed funding, but they also show up in other ways for our patients and staff, delivering costumes and supplies for Halloween parties for every hospitalized pediatric patient. Their heart for service is so appreciated.”