KCH’s sweetest trick: Treats delivered directly to patients
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 1, 2024) — For many kids, Halloween is the highlight of the year — from parties at school to trunk-or-treat events in their community, to more candy and treats than they can handle.
Young patients admitted to Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) on Halloween would understandably be bummed to miss out on the annual sugar-laden revelry. So, hospital staff bring the party to them
“Reverse Trick-or-Treat” is an annual event at KCH, now in its seventh year. Rather than the kids making the rounds and demanding treats under the threat of tricks, staff from all over UK HealthCare go door-to-door throughout the inpatient units, handing out goodies to patients sitting outside their rooms. Patients who don’t feel well enough to participate hang a bag on their closed door so they can enjoy their treats later.
“Just because kids are in the hospital doesn’t mean they have to miss out on the fun,” said Jennifer Guilliams, manager of the Child and Family Life program at KCH. “Our goal is to bring joy to each child, showing them that Halloween can be just as exciting, even when celebrated from a hospital room.”
Paw Patrol pups, Disney princesses and mummies fist-bumped UK’s junior mascot Scratch while a parade of witches, gnomes and puppies pushed carts and hauled wagons filled with treats and toys. There were smiles all around as kids struggled to lift their overflowing bags, filled with enough candy to last them for months.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted a scaled-down version of the festivities for a few years, participants are limited to small, internal UK groups in accordance with the hospital’s infection control protocols. Special attention is paid to patients with allergies or food restrictions. Proper distancing and disinfection regulations are observed for patients at higher risk for infection. The Child Life staff go to great lengths to ensure that every patient — no matter how sick — feels included.
“Even within the boundaries of our hospital’s health and safety protocols, our staff finds creative ways to make Halloween special for our young patients,” said Guilliams. “If we can make the kids smile and laugh, even if it’s just for a few minutes, it makes it all worth it.”
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.