Children who are pediatric patients at Laughlin Memorial Hospital can play video games, surf the Internet, watch a movie or just relax in a new state-of-the art playroom opened in a special ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
The “Starlight Site” is the first such playroom in Tennessee created through a partnership with the Toys ‘R’ Us Children’s Fund and the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation.
“I hope the children and the staff enjoy the playroom just as much as we’ve enjoyed making it a reality,” said Michelle Pooley, of Los Angeles, project manager for the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation.
Pooley recognized Jerry Whitson, the hospital’s site supervisor, and Betty Weemes, executive director of the Laughlin Health Care Foundation, for their work on the project.
She also thanked the hospital’s third-floor staff for enduring the disruptions of the construction project.
Pooley was introduced by Noah Roark, the hospital’s director of human resources, who welcomed the crowd of hospital staffers, volunteers and board members; former and current pediatric patients and employees of Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us.
The guests first gathered in the hospital lobby, where educational booths on safety and other issues related to babies and children were displayed.
Also attending was Geoffrey the giraffe, the Toys ‘R’ Us mascot, who got some dramatic reactions from many of the children.
Whitfield Comments
Chuck Whitfield, the hospital’s CEO, said “We are delighted to be the first site in Tennessee to receive a Toys ‘R’ Us Starlight Site. We are deeply moved by the generous gift from the Toys ‘R’ Us Children’s Fund and the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation that has created an area to encourage our pediatric patients to recover quickly and return home.
“The playroom has been designed as a warm and welcoming environment for our patients. It is a peaceful and fun-filled addition, where pediatric patients of all ages can escape the feeling of being hospitalized and enjoy normal play and activity,” Whitfield said.
The playroom is part of a $7 million multi-year donation made by the Toys ‘R’ Us Children’s Fund to Starlight Starbright for the construction and renovation of kids’ playrooms in hospitals across the country.
Terry Bellamy, chairman of the Laughlin Health Care Foundation, noted that the playroom was developed through a renovation and expansion project by Greeneville-based Hite Construction Company.
Includes Many Features
The playroom features shooting stars across the ceiling, interactive wall-mounted games and play areas for infants, toddlers and older children.
Amenities include a computer system with flat-screen monitor, big-screen TV with DVD/VCR player, stereo CD player, Nintendo GameCube system and new toys purchased with a $1,000 gift card from Toys ‘R’ Us at its Johnson City retail store.
Also introduced during the ceremony were Rick Roberts, store manager of the Johnson City Babies ‘R’ Us, and Tina Jones, store manager of the Johnson City Toys ‘R’ Us.
Weemes explained that the hospital’s partnership with Toys ‘R’ Us began in 1995 when she wrote a grant for the construction of a playroom. Toys ‘R’ Us agreed to build the room and furnish it annually with $1,000 in toys, she said.
This original playroom was one of three of its kind in the Southeast and one of 10 in the entire nation, Weemes said.
Several years ago, she said, the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation became a vehicle for renovating and updating these playrooms and began conducting annual inspections.
Last year, Weemes realized that there was a vacant room adjacent to the existing playroom, and she applied for another grant, which was accepted, she said.
The new playroom is more than double the size of the original playroom.
One of the displays in the hospital lobby explained the importance of playtime during a hospital stay.
“Typically when a child undergoes a hospital stay, some form of developmental regression takes place,” it said.
“Play can help a child reduce the amount of regression that takes place in a hospital,” it said.
“Play is the work of children. They learn from playing by putting their imaginations to work. Play also represents normalcy in a child’s life,” the display said.
