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Fundraiser Hopes To Make the ER More Kid-Friendly

The emergency room can be a scary place for an adult.  Imagine what a young child must feel!  Making kids more comfortable in the ER is the goal of a uni...

 

The emergency room can be a scary place for an adult.  Imagine what a young child must feel!  Making kids more comfortable in the ER is the goal of a unique fundraiser this weekend in Lackawanna County, featuring kids themselves.

Think about some of the things you'd see in an emergency room.  There are machines and wires, it's bright and noisy, and that can be scary sometimes even for a grown-up, let alone a child.

"We feel that when pediatric patients come in it can be very overwhelming, for the family but especially for the patient," said Lisa Golden, Chief Administrative Officer at Geisinger CMC in Scranton.  She told us about a plan that will benefit the emergency department's pediatric patients at GCMC, a plan to renovate two rooms specifically for pediatric use by making it a space just for kids.

"The ceiling blocks, we can put stars into them.  Different lighting, hand out teddy bears, something the pediatric patient can hold onto during an assessment by a physician," Golden said.

If you have little girls, or know someone who does, you probably recognize these popular dolls, from the American Girl Doll line.  These dolls are helping to raise the money for that emergency room renovation.

Geisinger Health System Foundation is hosting two American Girl Doll Fashion Shows, this Saturday and Sunday April 25th and 26th, from 2pm until 4pm at Fiorelli's, on Main Street in Peckville.  More than 80 local models ages six and up are involved, showing off American Girl Doll Fashions.

Geisinger officials hope to raise $50,000 between the two fashion shows and other events.  It's money that emergency department nurse and father of two Kevin McHale says will be well spent.

"We want parents to teach their children that it's not a scary environment, we want them to feel comfortable and let them know we're here to help them and make them feel better," McHale told us.

Newswatch 16's Peggy Lee will be the emcee for Saturday's fashion show, and Julie Sidoni will be doing the honors Sunday afternoon.  For more information call 570-808-8869.

 

 

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