Institutional Support
The second focus of the Fund is to work with area institutions such as Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center to recognize and meet non-medical needs. During the past year, the Fund was able to purchase the following items for Le Bonheur:
- Medical-grade recliner for the Mother’s Nursing Room
- Magazine subscriptions for the Mother’s Nursing Room
- Medical wagon for transportation of children
- Hands-free pumping bras for nursing mothers
- Kodak digital camera with printing dock
- 250 tote bags, notebooks, and Lovies for newly admitted babies
- 750 coolers for nursing mothers to transport their breastmilk home safely
- Microwave for the NICU
The Fund also provides items off the PICU and NICU wish lists such as:
- Crib mobiles
- CD players
- DVD players
- CDs
- Books
- Blankets
- Socks
- Hats
- Teethers
- Crib mirrors
- Sound machines
- Night lights
- Bubbles
- Stuffed animals
- Goodies and treats for the Le Bonheur staff
- Exersaucers
- Bouncers
- Swings
We are also excited to announce that we are working with Le Bonheur on their current building campaign with the development and construction of a sibling room, a project that is underway and scheduled for completion in 2011. Parents are often hindered from spending quality time with their children in the ICU because visiting children under the age of 12 are currently not permitted on the floor. A parent of multiple children is already taxed and child-care is not usually possible as often as would be necessary. The new sibling room, “The Forrest Sibling Room”, will provide a safe and interesting place for siblings of all ages to play while parents spend precious time with their child in the ICU and we feel honored to be a part of its development over the next year.
