New York’s Staten Island. Staten Island University Hospital’s joyous celebration for kids with cancer would have been a heartwarming experience for anyone who needed a little holiday happiness this season.
The event, which was held at the Historic Old Bermuda Inn, gave pediatric oncology patients and their families a day of joy and celebration.
With the help of the South Shore Rotary Club and a donation from John Vincent Scalia, the Rossville location was turned into a holiday paradise.
Dr. Eleny Romanos-Sirakis, director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, said, “This event allows children to experience joy and connection with other patients, their families, and siblings, all in a setting far removed from the hospital, which means so much to us.” While treating our patients is our top priority, improving their quality of life is equally crucial. We witnessed a lot of joy and smiles today.
(Staten Island Advance/Courtesy)
With food, desserts, games, crafts, and a variety of gifts, this year’s event was bigger and better than before. A special visit from Santa, who brought personalized gifts for each child, was the day’s high point.
As Santa’s helper, Amazon made sure that every pediatric oncology patient received carefully chosen gifts from their wish lists.
Additionally, Madeline Quinn of the South Shore Rotary Club and Avery Marder of the William D. Wernicoff Children’s Foundation contributed items to make sure that every child had an arm full of goodies when they left.
According to Dr. Brahim Ardolic, executive director of SIUH, children receiving cancer treatment may find the holidays especially difficult since they frequently don’t completely understand the gravity of their condition. The children and their families get unfathomable joy from occasions like this, which provide a little respite from their difficulties.
(Source: Staten Island Advance/SIUH)
In addition to providing the location, Scalia’s team also reserved personnel and food for the enjoyable occasion. Other donations were made by nearby companies Pizza Pasta House, Domenico’s, Moretti’s Bakery, and Cutest Cookies.
Stuffed animals were brought by Rob Morganstern, the Boy Scout troop leader of Holy Child R.C. Church, and the festivities were further enhanced by plush toys from The Bottomless Toy Chest.
Thank you, Dr. Romanos-Sirakis said. This year, the generosity and kindness of so many donors was amazing. In addition to having a fantastic day, every youngster went home with great presents. “We are reminded of the joy of witnessing our patients just being children by events like this,” she said.
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