Game On! St. Joseph's Children's Hospital Hosts Arcade-Themed Prom

TAMPA, Fla., March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 St. Joseph's Children's Hospital 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!"

To see more highlights from St. Joseph's Children's Hospital's prom, visit: Facebook.com/StJosephsChildrens.

About St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is Tampa Bay's largest provider of children's health services and is committed to providing everything needed for the health and well-being of children. Together, BayCare Kids and St. Joseph's Children's Hospital offer specialized inpatient and outpatient pediatric care to thousands of children and their families each year in multiple locations throughout West Central Florida. From the tiniest baby to the high school quarterback, patients are cared for by doctors who specialize in treating children, in surroundings designed exclusively for kids.

About BayCare
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and west central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE St. Joseph's Children's Hospital