There were no tricks, only treats this year for pediatric patients at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital in Westwood and UCLA Health Santa Monica Medical Center. While Halloween looked different this year for children spending the holiday in the hospital, they were still able to celebrate by dressing up in costumes, decorating arts and crafts and trick-or-treating at interactive booths and candy stations put up by staff from different hospital departments. Mini-horse and dog companions from UCLA's People-Animal Connection (PAC) program also dressed up in costumes to accompany the kids celebrating at the Santa Monica Medical Center. At the Mattel Children's Hospital, Isha, the hospital’s pediatric facility dog, also dressed up and joined the festivities.
“Halloween presents such a unique opportunity for our kids to dress up and be something other than a hospital patient for a day,” said Kelli Carroll, director of the Chase Child Life Program at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. “For so many of our patients, the hospital is their ‘neighborhood,’ and seeing their medical caregivers at the stops along the route brings so much joy and feeling of normalcy to their day.”
“Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year for many children. We want to make sure that doesn’t change for those who are staying at the hospital during this time,” said Laila Ramji, manager of the Chase Child Life Program at UCLA Health Santa Monica. “Healing takes a community, and a little bit of fun goes a long way.”
The Halloween celebrations are hosted every year by UCLA Health’s Chase Child Life department.
Pictures from the celebration at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital are featured below.
Pictures from the UCLA Health Santa Monica Medical Center celebration are featured below.
