While most of the world has moved on from COVID, children battling cancer continue to be tethered to chemo bags and medical equipment while sequestered to their hospital rooms.
In 2020, when we received this text from a hospital employee/friend whose job is to support and play with young cancer patients at Children’s – Dallas, “very hard times up here and our kiddos are getting more and more anxious, angry and depressed – trying to find fun and interactive things for them to do”, our hearts dropped. We immediately called Children’s Oncology Childlife Director and asked how we could help.
One conversation later, we pivoted from our highly-anticipated parties in Carson’s Corner/the Family Room and red-carpet outings for teen patients to the Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks Games and DSO Christmas Pops to our new program we affectionally coined: HEARTS of GOLD hootenannies!
Together, with the generous support of a wide variety of community partners, we continue to deliver a monthly hootenanny of surprises to each of the 48 hospital rooms of the kids battling cancer or a blood disorder at Children’s Health, Dallas.
Each hootenanny includes a fun interactive unexpected surprise like remote-control toys (all powered up of course), STEM Kits, Art Kits, LEGOS, Nerf Guns; you get the idea and we’re open to suggestions! We often ALSO include a cozy comfort item like a soft blanket, funny socks, cotton hats -again, open to suggestions.