Donations are welcomed at iuhealth.org/giving
Sitting in the emergency room, waiting to be seen, is not fun for anyone. Now, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital has a new feature for kids.
The Starlight Fun Center is a portable gaming system that can provide entertainment and distraction for kids in the emergency department
“It’s going to be used in our Emergency department waiting room to help kids be more comfortable; so the parents and the kids feel more comfortable coming to the emergency department for help,” said Natasha Thompson,a family nurse practitioner in the Ball Emergency Department. “The hospital is a scary place for kids and this is a way to make it less scary.”
When Thompson first came to IU Health she wanted to make the hospital more child friendly. She says this gaming system is the first step in her goal.
This gaming system was made by The Starlight Children's Foundation. Its mission statement is to “turn children's pain, fear, and stress into laughter, fun, and joy by providing seriously i’ll children the best in entertainment, education and one-of- a kind experiences- because sick kids are still sick.” This foundation serves more than 700 children’s hospitals. This week, Ball Memorial Hospital was added to that list.
“So far I have only seen one kid use it, but he seemed to be really entertained and he loved it while he was waiting,” said Kate Anderson, interim clinical operations manager.
Anderson and many other members of the staff are hoping to add more games in the future. Donations are welcomed at iuhealth.org/giving
