Retired teachers pitch in to provide fun ‘diversions’ for kids being treated at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrion
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A trip to the emergency room or a longer stay in a hospital can cause stress and anxiety for anyone.
But for kids who don’t have a clue about what’s going on with them, going to the hospital can be downright frightening.
To help them cope in such situations, hospital staff know a diversion can sometimes be the best medicine.
To help keep kids busy while they wait or receive treatment, 26 Jared Boxes were donated to AHN Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison by members of the Delta Kappa Gamma, Alpha Upsilon chapter honor society of retired educators.
Each of the shoebox-size plastic containers are filled with a variety of items such as puzzles, word searches, crayons and coloring books, small toys and other fun items geared toward kids of various ages.
The idea originated in 2000 after the death of Jared McMullen, a Centre County boy who was diagnosed at 5 with an incurable brainstem tumor.
Jared carried a backpack full of toys and games to all his medical appointments and questioned why other kids didn’t do the same.
When he died a year later, Jared’s classmates decided to honor his memory by creating boxes filled with toys for children receiving treatment at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville.
Since its debut, the Jared Box Project has distributed 999,785 boxes to children in 473 hospitals in all 50 states.
Retired Highlands teachers Barbara Summers and Tricia Cavanaugh emptied an SUV filled with Jared Boxes at the emergency room Thursday afternoon.
“When we heard about the Jared Box Project, we thought it was a great idea, so we decided to do it for our chapter’s President’s Project this year,” said Simmons, who is president of the local Delta Kappa Gamma chapter.
“We picked preschool and elementary level children and went out shopping to buy the things needed to fill the boxes up,” she said.
Gina Cecchi, assistant nurse manager for AVH’s emergency department, said the Jared Boxes are a useful tool.
“It’s nice to be able to give the kids something to keep them busy and divert their attention,” she said. “It’s something that gives them a little comfort and a way for them to think about something else.”
ER nurse manager Tony Tabita said Thursday’s donation came just in time.
“It seems like, just as we start running out of boxes, somebody comes along and gives us some more,” he said. “We were racking our brains trying to figure out what we could buy on our own for the kids to use. So this is just great. We’re super appreciative that they took time out to do this for us.”