Toys needed to comfort Baystate’s youngest patientsDate: 10/6/2016 SPRINGFIELD – Their pictures pop up on our Facebook feed, and they smile bravely back at us from fundraising television commercials.
Who hasn’t been moved by the plight of a sick child, and wondered what he or she could do to help make things better?
Right here, right now, everyone can make a difference for a sick child undergoing treatment at Baystate Children’s Hospital, and all that’s needed is a brand new box of crayons and a coloring book, a packaged card game, or a new, non-fabric toy.
Through the end of the year, the Children’s Hospital is reaching out to the community with a Toy Drive to help refill its gift closet. Because a longstanding donor is unable to provide the full donation of $30,000 in toys it has given in the past, Baystate now faces a shortage of new toys for birthdays, end-of treatment celebrations, holiday parties and pick-me-up gifts for stressful treatments.
“We understand that this is something that people can’t keep up and we hope that our community can rally and help keep everything going for these kids,” said Meghan Brewer, child life specialist at Baystate Children’s Hospital.
Brewer said the Child Life Department could potentially see and comfort as many as 200 young patients a day – including those in the pediatric emergency room, the outpatient clinic, the pediatric endoscopy and colonoscopy departments, and the inpatient rooms and playroom.
She said toys are needed for infants – such as rattles, soothers, crib gyms and crib music boxes; toddlers – such as stacking and shape sorters, Fisher Price Little People and new stuffed animals without buttons or chokable parts; and school age-children – including Matchbox cars, “pretend” medical kits, action figures, dolls, and card games. Because of infection control issues, all items must be new and in packages.
These toys, Brewer said, “are used to help the children cope with being in the hospital. We try to provide the most normal environment for these kids and play come naturally to children and provides a way to cope with the stress [of treatment].”
She added the hospital’s preteen and teen patients would appreciate earbuds and headphones, nail polish and makeup kits, Nerf-style basketballs and footballs, and tabletop air hockey and foosball sets.
“Our teen are always the forgotten ones,” Brewer said, adding they enjoy adult coloring books, craft kits and gift cards from retailers such as iTunes and Amazon.
“Music and movies really help teens cope with being here, [and] they can download them to watch on their own devices,” she said.
The hospital is also seeking CDs and DVDs for a range of ages, arts and craft supplies, stickers, batteries, new portable music and DVD players, and much more. The inpatient children’s ward has Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 gaming systems and non-violent games for these systems are another donation option. Brennan said sporting games such as football, baseball, basketball and hockey are most popular.
A complete list of acceptable donations is available online at www.baystatehealth.org/news/2016/10/2016-toy-drive. You can also call the Child Life Office at 794-3145 to insure your potential donation (especially video games) is acceptable.
A donation drop-off box will be securely located at the Concierge Desk of the Daly Lobby at Baystate Medical Center during the toy drive. Donors are asked to please leave contact information so the hospital can properly thank them for their generosity.
|
