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Game On! St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Hosts Arcade-Themed Prom
March 06, 2023
St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital leveled up the fun for patients and their families during its '80s arcade-themed prom, held in partnership with the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation. The hospital hosts prom each year for patients who are unable to attend their school’s traditional dance due to hospitalization, or who, due to chronic or life-threatening conditions, may never get the opportunity.
The totally awesome night of fun was held in the hospital’s Medical Arts Building on Friday, March 3, and featured arcade games, a magician, dinner, prom swag bags and lots of dancing.
The hospital’s Child Life team, with support from the St. Joseph's Children's Hospital Foundation, organizes special events like the prom in an effort to provide patients with experiences that they might not otherwise have due to treatment and hospitalization.
“We love hosting these milestone events for our patients,” said St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Certified Child Life Specialist Karlyn Crawford. “It’s so special to see kids just being kids, and it’s so important to provide opportunities for them to forget about their illness or injury for a few hours.”
Nora Gunn, vice president of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Foundation adds, “We’re proud to partner with the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation to bring this special prom experience to our pediatric patients.”
For 8-year-old Dylan Bartini, the event brought a much-needed break from her long hospital stay. Dylan was diagnosed in November with acute myeloid leukemia and has spent the last four weeks in her hospital room at SJCH undergoing her third round of chemotherapy. She spent most of the evening on the dance floor with her sister by her side.
“I really don’t dance that much, but I wanted to be with my sister because she loves to dance,” said Dylan. “We had so much fun!”
Watch our video recap of the celebration here.
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