Dear Friends:
As many of you know, I have been playing Santa in the Pediatric ER at Mount Sinai for the past few years. It has become a family tradition, as Lauren usually works these holiday shifts. It is my annual reminder of the incredible work that she and her colleagues do for the children of NYC.
As a result of COVID, I will not be able to participate physically this year, but the Zinns family wants to continue to do our part to bring joy and well wishes to the children who find themselves in the hospital during the holidays.
COVID has left a hole to fill in the ER’s funding for holiday gifts and more generally for materials/supplies for children and teens throughout the year. In lieu of an annual toy drive, and in honor of Lauren and her incredible colleagues that have served our city so admirably throughout this pandemic, I would invite you to help us fill this gap by generously donating to The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. Through these efforts, our goal is to raise $18,000.00 for the Pediatric ED
Their mission is to humanize healthcare for the patients and families in the pediatric hospital. I will tell you from first-hand experience, they do incredible work day in and day out throughout the year! I would encourage you to read more about their important work below.
Thank you for generously donating and helping to lift the spirits of the pediatric patients at Mount Sinai during the holiday season!
Warm regards,
Joshua, Juliette & Olivia
Additional information on the Child Life Department at Mount Sinai
In the Pediatric Emergency Department, child life specialists and music therapists provide support to children and their families within a strong family-centered care model. These psychosocial professionals help to reduce the trauma and anxiety of the ED experience for children and teens through clinical interventions such as developmentally appropriate preparation, relaxation techniques, therapeutic play, procedural support, and post-procedural processing. Working in collaboration with the interdisciplinary healthcare team, these professionals strive to enhance the overall patient and family experience.
Our current urgent need in this area is to secure funding for therapeutic art and play materials and supplies necessary to implement comprehensive programming throughout the year and to secure funds for holiday gifts for our children during the upcoming season. These gifts will lift the spirits of these children and adolescents in the Pediatric Emergency Department and in the inpatient environment as well. Program materials and supplies include but are not limited to familiar toys to help normalize the environment, arts and crafts material for expressive opportunities, and recreational coping items to provide children and adolescents options to alternate their focus during medical procedures.iser.