The Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Program at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach received a generous grant from the Tri Sigma Foundation Robbie Page Memorial Fund. The $5,000 grant was used by the Child Life Program to aid children’s development through the use of play.
The Robbie Page Memorial Fund from the Tri Sigma Foundation focuses on funding therapeutic play. Therapeutic play focuses on helping children cope with their treatments and outcomes of their illnesses through the use of toys, games, and other items.
The Child Life Program was able to use the funds to purchase sensory play activity items, which helps to support development for hospitalized children. Some of the sensory play items purchased included developmental tactile toys like fidget gadgets, soothing comfort items, and virtual reality goggles for pediatric patients.
Various items were bought for children of all developmental ability levels to experience some sort of sensory play. Children with limited mobility or sensitivity concerns, children on the Autism spectrum, and patients whose ability to communicate could be limited because of their diagnosis will be able to interact and play with several items to help them cope with hospitalization.
The fidgets and other sensory toys provide different forms of tactile feedback and also make noises, which help younger and older patients alike. The virtual reality goggles help to distract patients during medical procedures through the use of an immersive sensory experience.
“We are extremely grateful for the Tri Sigma Foundation’s generosity to our patients and families,” says Rita Goshert, director, Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Program, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach. “With these wonderful gifts, we are able to better assist positive coping among our patients and help them to adjust and adapt to hospitalization and illness.”
