Spirit of Children Provides CHKD with a $82,651 Donation

On Thursday, February 22, Spirit of Children representatives Ray Smith, Amanda Austin, Mariah Crane and Pauline Heiney presented Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters’ Child Life team with an $82,651 check to be used to help make hospitals less scary.

The funds were raised this past fall at Spirit Halloween stores throughout Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina through their annual Spirit of Children campaign. Funds raised in the local community go directly to support healing through play therapy and more at Child Life Departments far beyond the Halloween season.

Thanks to Spirit of Children, CHKD was able to hire a full time music therapist who wows our patients and families with calming music during stressful medical procedures, co-treats with therapies to encourage verbalizations through music and helps with milestone celebrations. Patients who are readmitted to the hospital often ask for the music therapist because of the positive impact he has made. In the future, we hope Spirit of Children funds will allow us to add a part time art therapist position in our Children’s Pavilion.

Spirit of Children funds have also allowed us to update our music therapist’s equipment, purchase consumable art supplies and support our facility dog.

We are grateful to Spirit of Children for helping to provide fun and therapeutic activities that help children escape the medical world and engage in normal play and fun.