October 28, 2020 – Patients at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital received a special “reverse trick-or-treat” visit today from “Franky the Robot,” A.K.A. an iPad on wheels, to follow social distancing guidelines. The hospital visit was part of Spirit of Children’s annual tradition hosted around this time of the year for patients.
In lieu of this year’s event, and to ensure Halloween is not one of the childhood hallmarks being canceled this year, Spirit of Children delivered one-of-a-kind care packages to the hospital. They contained assorted costumes, activity books, crayons and treat bags to keep patients engaged at the bedside this year.
“While COVID-19 has limited in-person activities and events at the hospital, we are excited to work with our friends at Spirit of Children to make sure our patients enjoy Halloween while staying safe,” said Matthew A. Love, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nicklaus Children’s Health System.
Patients had the chance to dress up and play games and activities alongside their family members despite having to spend the night at the hospital this Halloween.
"Spirit of Children has been at the heart of our organization for more than a decade,” said Steven Silverstein, President and CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We are honored to bring a sense of normalcy to some of the toughest times a family and child go through, and that dedication doesn’t stop in a pandemic. We are determined, now more than ever, to bring the magic of Halloween to pediatric patients, even if we can’t be there in person this year.”
Spirit of Children is a partner of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals program. Nicklaus Children’s is the exclusive Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties.
With a focus on making hospitals less scary for kids and their families, Spirit of Children set a record goal of raising $11 million, mainly through donations raised in Spirit Halloween stores. Since its creation in 2006, Spirit of Children has raised more than $65 million specifically on behalf of Child Life Services at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the United States and Canada.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.
About Spirit of Children
At the heart of Spirit Halloween is Spirit of Children, a program which focuses on making hospitals less scary for kids and their families. Since its creation in 2006, Spirit of Children has raised more than $65 million for the Child Life department at hospitals across the United States and Canada. Donations to Spirit of Children stay within local communities, with 100 percent of funds going to Child Life Services. For the 2020 Halloween season, Spirit of Children will be supporting more than 140 hospitals across the country, with a goal to raise a record $11 million. Spirit encourages customers to help make a difference in a child’s life this Halloween season by donating at their local Spirit Halloween or spreading awareness via Facebook and Instagram using #SpiritofChildren and #MoreCowbell in their photos. For more information, please visit: www.SpiritOfChildren.com.
