Starlight Children's Foundation dedicates new family room at Banner Thunderbird

Having a child in the hospital can be traumatic for everyone involved, but with the help of the Starlight Children's Foundation, families at Banner Children's at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center will find the experience much easier.

Starlight helped dedicate the new family room on the pediatric level, a designated space that provides families and pediatric patients a comfort zone and area to interact in a supportive environment.

The Family Room is equipped with a child-friendly activity zone for games and crafts, a family-style dining area, charging stations, and various areas to relax or read a book, allowing sick kids and their families the opportunity to escape the isolation of a hospital room.

Starlight also donated all new furniture and art on the walls that is bright and colorful with a warm feeling.

"The room that was here before was a dark, dingy room with no place to sit and it was kind of unused space and there was no place on the entire floor for families to sit," said Chris de Haan, senior vice president, communications and public relations at Starlight Children's Foundation. "We put a new coat of paint on the walls, a new laminate floor and all new furniture where people can come relax, or get some work done while their children get a treatment at the hospital."

Starlight, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing joy and comfort to hospitalized children, and Niagara Cares, the philanthropic division of Niagara Bottling Company, have designed numerous rooms around the country.

The family room at Banner Thunderbird marks the fifth Starlight site completed in the United States, as part of a generous $500,000 grant from Niagara Cares awarded to Starlight in 2016. The funds were meant to create meaningful impact in local Niagara plant communities, where Niagara employees live and work.

Since 2014, Niagara has generously supported numerous Starlight programs, including Starlight Sites, Starlight Fun Centers, Starlight Special Deliveries and Starlight Brave Gowns.

"We're grateful for the opportunity to make an impact in the care and treatment of hospitalized children," said Kristen Venick, director of Niagara Cares. "As a family owned and operated company, we're committed to enriching the lives of children in communities in which we live and work. We hope this Starlight site will bring families joy during a challenging time."

Banner Thunderbird Medical Center CEO Deb Krmpotic said the project is key to continuing expansion of the new Children's Hospital at Banner Thunderbird.

"This is huge because we are a pediatric hospital that has been fitted into an adult hospital," Krmpotic said. "We were missing some things that a children's hospital would have if it was built from the ground up, so this is an amazing resource for us to take advantage of."

Senior Manager of Child Life Specialist Wendy Pauker said they had a huge part in designing the new room and with the opening, will make their jobs a little easier.

"This makes it much easier for all of us because families know they have a place to get out and get some fresh air," Pauker said. "Also, if we have a difficult situation to talk to families about, we have a place that is warm and makes it more comfortable than just talking to them in the hallway."

Pauker added that the bright colors and new furniture do more than just create a bright location, but also makes it comfortable for families whose children are being treated.

Pauker said, "This is just so great and an amazing, comforting place for families to get a break."