The gift of giving Desi Strong dolls to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
The gift of giving Desi Strong dolls to children in hospitals is one of our Foundation's most important missions. We are so grateful to be able to gift dozens of Desi Strong dolls to the Child Life team's at these children's hospitals. Child Life Specialist's are Pediatric health care professionals who work with children and families in hospitals and other settings to help them cope with the challenges of Pediatric Cancer.
Earlier this week, the Desi Strong Foundation was able to drop dolls off to Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Thank you CHLA for allowing us to give the gift of Desi and helping make families and children Desi Strong.
The following is from the Lead Child Life Specialist at CHLA:
On behalf of the patients at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, I extend my deep appreciation for the gift of 20 beautiful Desi Strong Dolls you recently delivered to the hospital. What an endearing way to honor the life of Desi and the mark she has left on the community. She would be very proud of how this powerful project is bringing so much care and support for children and families undergoing cancer treatment and numerous hospitalizations.
In her own play at the hospital, Desi was able to learn to more effectively cope with the treatment plan while playing with her dolls. In my role as a Child Life Specialist, I have often seen children doing this type of "medical play" with various dolls. These new Desi Strong Dolls you recently delivered will really help to make this kind of therapeutic play even more engaging. To be able to practice having the port-a-cath accessed, giving medications with the syringe, applying or changing the tegaderm patch and having sweet conversations with the doll truly help the children learn new strategies for success in their daily care. The benefits of this play are plentiful and poignant. It is heart-warming to see the children as they interact with the doll and care givers.
Attached is a picture of the dolls and some of our wonderful Child Life staff from the Oncology unit as they prepare to deliver the dolls to patients. I wish we could capture pictures of the smiling faces of the children!!
Please keep up the Strong work and making the beautiful dolls available for children across the country. Your Foundation has touched so many young lives in very positive ways and we are very grateful that you have included us in your outreach. We thank you so very much!
With warm regards,
Doug
If you would like to sponsor a Desi Strong doll for a child, please click on the link below:
