Patients at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital Get "Trick-and-Treatment" During Special Halloween Parade
Pediatric patients and pet therapy dogs dressed in Halloween costumes and spent the afternoon trick-or-treating throughout the hospital campus to get gifts, candy and trinkets.
TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Superheroes, Minions, pint-sized princesses and a cowboy invaded the hallways of St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa today. Some came on foot, others arrived in little red wagons and wheelchairs, and all were in search of Halloween goodies.
The holiday fun was part of St. Joseph's Children's Hospital's annual Halloween parade, which is organized by the hospital's Child Life Department. During the event, costumed team members manned decorated tables as pediatric patients, joined by siblings and other family members, went trick-or-treating throughout the hospital hallways.
"This event is always just as much fun for the hospital staff as it is for the patients and families," said Christi Schwichtenberg, child life supervisor at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. "Many of the hospital departments go all out with their table decorations and treats, and they love interacting with the kids this way."
Schwichtenberg adds that the goal of the Halloween parade is to help pediatric patients feel like normal kids, increase the socialization between patients and caregivers, and to give the children an opportunity to celebrate the holiday despite being hospitalized.
To see photos from the Halloween parade, visit St. Joseph's Children's Hospital's Facebook page: Facebook.com/StJosephsChildrens.
About St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
As Tampa's only dedicated children's hospital, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital is committed to providing everything needed for the health and well-being of children. Part of the BayCare Health System, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital provides more acute medical and surgical pediatric care than all other hospitals in Hillsborough County. 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 Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 13 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and 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.
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SOURCE St. Joseph's Children's Hospital
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