No tricks, just treats for the young patients at Kentucky Children’s Hospital

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 1, 2022) — A petite princess friends out of her room, with an excited smile and a bag in outstretched arms. A pint-sized pirate factors out acquainted characters who’re pushing carts stuffed with treats. Usually, these children can be going door-to-door of their neighborhoods gathering sweet, however at present, the treats are coming to them.

“Reverse Trick-or-Deal with” is an annual occasion at Kentucky Kids’s Hospital. Moderately than the children making the rounds and demanding treats beneath the specter of methods, employees from throughout UK HealthCare go door-to-door all through the inpatient unit, handing out goodies to sufferers sitting exterior their rooms. Sufferers who don’t really feel nicely sufficient to take part cling a bag on their closed door. 

“Halloween is an enormous deal for youths — it’s the spotlight of their 12 months,” mentioned Jennifer Guilliams, supervisor of Little one and Household Life at KCH. “Being within the hospital doesn’t imply they need to miss out on the enjoyable. They’ll’t go trick-or-treating, so we deliver trick-or-treating to them.”  

Teams of minions, M&Ms, french fries and different artistic teams from numerous departments dropped off sweet, toys, Play-Doh and coloring books. They have been joined by Scratch and the UK cheerleaders and Buckles the horse from Keeneland.

For the previous two years, the occasion has been scaled down on account of COVID-19 and customer restrictions. Whereas nonetheless not again to its pre-pandemic scale, extra teams from numerous hospital departments can take part. And for the children, meaning extra sweet and treats. 

One little lady lifted the hammer of the Mighty Thor. One boy, dressed as Mario, was delighted to see Mark Newman, M.D., govt vp of well being affairs for UK HealthCare, dressed the identical. 

Whereas it is a common occasion at KCH, the variety of collaborating sufferers isn’t. The hospital is working at full capability because of the rise of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Roughly 20 to 30 sufferers are being admitted each day for intensive interventions, akin to frequent suctioning, supplemental oxygen or different respiratory assist. 

“Capability has been a significant problem for us,” mentioned Lindsay Ragsdale, M.D., chief medical officer of KCH. “We expanded our beds a number of instances, elevated staffing and shifted all our assets to care for the children.” 

However for the sufferers and their households, they have not observed. Being within the hospital might be scary, however the employees be sure that the children do not feel like they’re lacking out.

“It’s so necessary to verify the children have a way of normalcy even throughout essentially the most difficult instances,” mentioned Guilliams. “Even when we are able to put a smile on simply a kind of faces, it makes all of it price it.”