Caring in Action - Support for Kids in the Hospital

What looks like a bag of activities is actually a lifeline for children in the hospital. 

A hospital stay can be tough for a child with special needs because it’s a big change from their usual routine. They’re suddenly in a place that feels strange and scary, surrounded by doctors, nurses, and unfamiliar machines. They might not fully understand what’s happening to them, and that can make them feel nervous or anxious. Plus, being away from home, their regulation tools, and their family can be extremely lonely and upsetting. Hospitals can be full of sounds, smells, and overwhelming feelings, and for a kid, it’s hard to make sense of all of it. All they really want is to feel safe, comforted, and surrounded by love, but it’s hard when they’re in a place that feels so different from what they know. That’s why things like care packages can make such a huge difference—they help bring a little piece of normalcy and comfort in a time that’s anything but. That’s where Phoebe comes in.

Phoebe, a senior at Badin High School, wanted to make a big difference for kids and families in the special needs community. After volunteering in her junior and senior years, she felt a deep connection to the Pause mission - to cultivate hope for children with special needs and their families. “Serving the families and kids in the Pause community is important to me because I love seeing the smiles the kids have when they come in to spend time with us,” Phoebe shared. “It always brings me joy to see how much their faces light up when they come to Pause and see their friends.”

Phoebe knew firsthand how important it is to have a strong support system. She was born with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and other learning disabilities. She was completely nonverbal and learned sign language to communicate while working hard throughout her life with speech and therapy services. This fueled her passion to give back to families going through similar challenges.

For her senior capstone project, Phoebe decided to create care packages for kids who were in the hospital, as well as for their caregivers… to bring that sense of normalcy. She filled the kids' bags with fun crafts and games to keep them entertained during hospital stays. For the parents, she packed self-care essentials to help them through tough times. It was all about offering comfort and a little joy to people who really needed it.

To fund the project, Phoebe held an out-of-uniform fundraiser at school, where students paid $3 to skip their uniforms for a day. It was a huge hit! Phoebe raised over $800! With this money, she was able to buy everything needed for the care packages. But when it came time to put everything together, Phoebe was excited to have nearly 40 of her classmates show up to help assemble the bags. It turned into a fun, team effort, and it made the project even more special for Phoebe.

One of Phoebe’s favorite memories was shopping for the goodies to fill the care packages with her mom. “It was so much fun to do it together,” Phoebe said. The hardest part of the project was making sure everything fit within the budget while still making the bags unique and thoughtful for each person. But with some careful planning, Phoebe and her mom pulled it off, and the care packages came together perfectly.

Phoebe’s project not only helped bring smiles to the kids and families she served, but it also taught her valuable lessons in leadership and community. “I’m really proud of what I was able to do,” Phoebe shared. “I hope the families will feel supported and see that I was doing this to give back for all the support I’ve received in my own life.”

As Phoebe gets ready for college next fall, where she plans to study to become an intervention specialist, she’ll carry these experiences with her. Whether she’s in the classroom or helping others in her future career, Phoebe is a shining example of kindness, hard work, and the power of community.

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