TACOMA, Wash. – March is Child Life Specialist Month, highlighting the crucial role these professionals play in pediatric care. Starlight Children’s Foundation is committed to supporting their efforts through innovative programs. The organization provides specialized resources, including Starlight Gaming stations, to facilities like MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Wash., enhancing the experience for hospitalized children.
Enhancing Hospital Stays for Children
Starlight Gaming stations, powered by Nintendo, offer a vital source of normalcy, comfort, and distraction for children undergoing treatment. These mobile entertainment units are specifically designed for the hospital environment, providing engaging experiences that can alleviate stress and foster moments of happiness in challenging situations. Starlight has delivered more than 8,000 Starlight Gaming Stations across the U.S. The foundation’s philosophy centers on the belief that healing begins with happiness, a principle directly supported by the positive impact of these gaming programs.
The Unique Role of the Gaming & Technology Specialist
A key component of the Starlight Gaming initiative at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is the dedicated Gaming & Technology Specialist. This specialized role, distinct from other hospital positions, involves providing tailored gaming experiences to children as a therapeutic tool for distraction and engagement. The Gaming & Technology Specialist ensures that the Starlight Gaming stations are utilized effectively, maximizing their benefit for each child. This unique field of work is enhanced by Starlight’s purpose-built gaming stations, which are designed for ease of use and safety within a medical setting.
Starlight Children’s Foundation continues to partner with hospitals to deliver programs that bring joy and support to hospitalized children, recognizing the profound impact of positive experiences on their well-being. Learn more about Starlight Children’s Foundation and its programs.
Adam Garone, CEO of Starlight Children’s Foundation, said: “The role of the Gaming & Technology Specialist at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is truly groundbreaking,” said Adam Garone, Starlight CEO. “It’s a testament to the importance of innovative care, and we are incredibly proud that our Starlight Gaming Stations are at the heart of their work. This unique program ensures that every child can experience the happiness and therapeutic benefits of gaming, making stressful hospital stays a little brighter and much more manageable.”
“During Child Life Month, we recognize the essential role Child Life professionals play in nurturing the emotional and developmental well-being of pediatric patients. I am incredibly proud to honor the Mary Bridge Child Life team for their unwavering commitment, compassion, and the comfort they bring to children and families every day,” says Julie Hertzog, Child Life Specialist, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. “We are also deeply grateful for our valued community partners, including Starlight, whose generosity and partnership help us create moments of joy, resilience, and healing throughout the care journey”
Alexander Pereira, Gaming & Technology Specialist, Mary Bridge Children’s, shares: “Gaming in the hospital and medical settings is a key tool in reducing the stress, anxiety, and boredom that hospitalization can inflict on patients. It helps reduce patient trauma, encourage patient compliance with healthcare goals, and normalize the hospital environment. I’ve had patients exclaim that they don’t want to go home because I’ve wheeled in a Starlight Gaming Station. As the Gaming & Technology Specialist, community Partners such as Starlight, are invaluable in providing tools that allow broad access to beloved gaming properties. Starlight Gaming Stations have games that make patients excited to engage and can easily be deployed by healthcare staff across the board, meaning that patients get access faster.”
About Starlight Children’s Foundation
Hospital stays can be lonely, stressful, and scary. That’s why Starlight exists. Founded in 1982, Starlight Children’s Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that aims to deliver happiness to seriously ill children and their families through vital programs that impact millions of kids annually. Donor-funded and offered free of charge to hospitals and families, Starlight programs unleash the power of play, empowering kids with a renewed sense of optimism, resilience, and courage. Starlight is a top-rated charity committed to the equitable allocation of programs to its nationwide hospital network. Healing begins with happiness™. Learn more at starlight.org and follow Starlight on social media @starlightchildrensfoundation.
About Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1955, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is the state-designated Level II Pediatric Trauma Center for Western Washington. Offering comprehensive care and resources for critically ill and injured children, Mary Bridge Children’s is the only pediatric hospital in Southwest Washington. Mary Bridge Children’s also provides primary, specialty, therapy and urgent care services at its outpatient centers and clinics across the Puget Sound region, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Olympia, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Renton, Bonney Lake and Silverdale.
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network believes that kids should be at the front of the line. More than a place of hope and healing, Mary Bridge Children’s is a place where expert care helps kids get back to doing what they do best: being kids. Mary Bridge Children’s serves children and families, regardless of ability to pay, thanks to generous contributions to the Mary Bridge Children’s Foundation.
Mary Bridge Children’s is a part of MultiCare Health System, the largest community-based and locally governed health system in Washington state. For more information about Mary Bridge Children’s, visit marybridge.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, or our Kite Strings blog.
