K-12 hospital school gives kids a chance for normalcy and connections to other kids during long recoveries At most schools, the two students would never have met. One boy was a teenager in high school, the other a child in early elementary school. Because they were attending the school at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, in one big classroom for grades K-12, they became buddies. They shared similar, life-threatening cancer diagnoses and were enduring many of the same treatments. But they also wanted to have fun and feel like regular kids. They bonded over the challenges of hospita ..read more

Monserrat Ruelas, 7, who has a Berlin Heart Active Driver too, shares her Christmas wish with Elfie. Elfie, a seasonal visitor who might just be Santa’s favorite visiting elf, is back visiting Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, to bring laughter, hope, and a wee bit of mischief and fun to kids staying in the hospital this holiday season. All the way from the North Pole, Elfie is at the hospital to spread cheer and to act as an ambassador of Santa Claus, reporting back about all the good little and big boys and girls who have gone through a lot this year, especially the young patient ..read more

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… a window washer at Stanford Children’s Health! Spiderman and his amazing superhero friends assembled and scaled the walls of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford to lift kids’ spirits, while washing windows of the patients’ room.    Equipped with squeegees, soap and buckets, window washers from Transpacific Building Maintenance and Century Pyramid Building Maintenance, changed into their secret identities as Batman, Flash, Mr. Incredible, and Spiderman, rappelled down the building, bringing a wave of smiles and joy to the little and big heroe ..read more

With the chill of the season come the inevitable cold, flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory concerns such as the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), all infectious diseases that can be serious, especially for young children. As health care experts say, vaccines are our superheroes when it comes to protecting people against these highly contagious respiratory illnesses. But for some kids, shots can be as scary as a Halloween spookfest. And one bad experience at a clinic can lead to a fear of vaccines well into adulthood.  This season, some Stanford Medicine Children’s Health flu clinics a ..read more

Over the course of ten months, Stanford medical student Niisoja Torto worked with 10 of his fellow scholars in the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program on a photo project called “Through Their Eyes.” The team collaborated with Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Child Life specialists to identify patient families to share their experiences, culminating in an exhibit on April 26 where attendees got a glimpse into what life is like for young patients. Each of the 12 patient families borrowed a camera to capture some of their most meaningful moments at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford ..read more

At Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, we are looking to the sky and the ground as we honor our Critical Care Transport (CCT) program during Women’s History Month. Its all-female led nursing team in obstetrics and neonatology, and (at times) in pediatrics, provides 24/7 coverage of critical care air and ground transports for neonatal, pediatric, and pregnant patients coming to Stanford Medicine from across California and nationwide. The CCT teams have more than 30 years of experience as mobile intensive care units at Stanford Children’s and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. The cr ..read more

Hearing the beating of drums and clash of cymbals – patients and their families gazed in awe of the colorful blue and hot pink lions as they leaped and bobbed their heads, weaving around the lobby at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. The hospital’s annual Lunar New Year celebration was back in-person for the first time since the pandemic to ring in the Year of the Rabbit. In accordance with safety protocols and visitor guidelines, Child Life specialists created various stations for patients to explore after the lion dance performance. Together with their families, they went table ..read more

The holiday season is a special time of year, but it can be difficult for patients in the hospital who are away from home and their loved ones. Fernando Hurtado, a social work resource coordinator at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, has organized a toy drive to ensure that every patient in the hospital receives a special gift this holiday season. With his social services colleagues’ help, the team delivered more than 200 gifts to patients and families, making their holidays brighter this year ..read more

Having a child in the hospital is tough on any family, but imagine if you had to navigate a hospital admission if English wasn’t your first language. That’s the case for some Latinx families. Marsha Perez, parent lead in the Department of Family-Centered Care at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, describes how the Latinx Family Advisory Council is providing input to clinicians to help bridge cultural gaps. What is the Latinx Family Advisory Council at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health? Marsha Perez: The Latinx Family Advisory Council started in March of 2022. The Council is a group of si ..read more

Something wicked(ly fun) this way comes… For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the annual Trick-or-Treat Trail returns to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford for Halloween. From giant inflatable pumpkins to balloons, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health caregivers transformed the Dawes Garden into an interactive Halloweentown to bring patients and their families a spook-tacular celebration. In accordance with safety protocols and visitor guidelines, caregivers passed out toys and treats at more than 20 trick-or-treat booths – each with a different theme from Addams Fam ..read more