Children's Hospital of Buffalo

This morning I hit the road to go west to the land of my favorite hockey team for a visit to the Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. This is the second of this week's four Children's Miracle Network hospital visits.

Tara, Child Life Specialist for the hospital, welcomed me up to the tenth floor where patients were already waiting to meet me in the playroom. Murals covered the walls, and closets of toys seemed to be busting at the seams. I started introducing myself to each patient, and suddenly time started to fly. I ended up spending over an hour in there...singing songs, trying on tiaras, and cracking up about everything from siblings to our favorite hobbies. One young lady wore my local title crown the entire time, so comfortable in it that I almost forgot it was mine!

After our time in the playroom we went around to some of the private rooms to make surprise visits (my favorite part!) I am in love with the intimacy of this hospital, how staff knew each patient and each room was filled with their favorite things; art projects, magazines, cartoons blasting on the TV.

On my way out I was stopped by a grandmother who had been with us during the playroom hour. She wanted to tell me that her granddaughter had been here for several weeks, and doctors are still trying to get to the bottom of the seizures she had been having. This sounded so much like what my brother, Peter, went through. Up in the room, her granddaughter and I had been chatting. I was asking her questions as she nodded answers, then started to say words and talk with me. She told me all about her family and then tried on a crown. Grandma told me this was the most responsive they have seen her since she arrived in the hospital. I was blown away. To think that I facilitated a smile much less a step forward for her was everything I could have wanted to accomplish this year. This is why Children's Miracle Network Hospitals are so wonderful. They provide comforts and fun that can help a girl like this forget her fears and troubles. I am excited to keep in touch with her family and hear about her progress.

Thank you to Tara and the staff, to the parents who played along, and to all my new friends who passed the day with me!! This visit was the most moving experience of my title thus far, and one that will fuel me as I move forward.

You can help me support this hospital. Help me raise $1000 for Children's Miracle Network to benefit their New York State hospitals, just like this one. Learn how here!