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In children’s hospitals, where patients are primarily infants and elementary-aged children, adolescents may sometimes feel overlooked in the hospital setting. The Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach Auxiliary wants to make hospitalized teens feel they have a special place for themselves, as well as help them meet developmental milestones that are right sized for them. In February 2020, they pledged $500,000 over five years to fund the brand-new adolescent rehabilitation gym at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach’s outpatient center, in the Cherese Mari Laulhere Children’s Village, just for teens. This year is the fourth year of their pledge, and they plan to complete their pledge early.
“We are happy to help raise funds to build the new adolescent gym at the outpatient Children’s Village at Miller Children’s & Women’s,” says Margie Penny, third vice president of fundraising, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach Auxiliary. “Everything we do supports the kids at Miller Children’s & Women’s by providing opportunities to help support and expand their services – this was especially important to us to ensure that none of the adolescent patients felt overlooked and had equipment to fit their needs. We want everyone in the hospital to know how important they are from infants to teens.”
The adolescent gym will be a new addition to the already functional Rehabilitation Center at the Children’ Village, which provides developmentally and culturally appropriate evaluations and treatment for children from birth to 21-years-of-age. The addition of this new gym will help adolescents with developmental diseases, disorders, or conditions to improve their neuromotor development, motor function and endurance.
“Adolescents experience major growth and physical development during these years and require age-appropriate rehab to ensure healthy growth,” says Christina Bell, executive director, outpatient specialty, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach. “Many of the adolescents in our outpatient center have developmental diseases, disorders or conditions that hinder their movement and endurance. The adolescent gym will help provide more adolescent patients with age-appropriate physical therapy since it will have equipment that is the correct size and caters toward facilitating healthy adolescent growth.”
The Fashion Show is the Auxiliary’s largest fundraiser each year and garners a lot of support from the local Long Beach community. Every year, the Auxiliary holds this event to raise funds for various projects at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach. This year’s fashion show is the first one back in-person since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Auxiliary is excited to work with the local community once again.
The theme this year is “Heart’s Reunited” and will feature local designers, a silent auction for attendees to win prizes, and a luncheon to finish the festivities. In addition to these activities, Johnny Blu, a jazz singer from Los Angeles, will serenade the crowd.
The event will take place at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $125 and are available for purchase until Feb. 18.
For more information about ticket prices and where to purchase them, call Margie Penny at 562-715-4699 or Carol England at 562-619-0007.
About MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach:
MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach provides specialized pediatric care for children and young adults, as well as maternity care for expectant mothers. Only five percent of hospitals are children’s hospitals, making them unique not only to children’s health care needs in the community, but across the region. Miller Children’s & Women’s is one of only eight free-standing children’s hospitals in California — treating more than 14,000 children each year — and has become a regional pediatric destination for more than 65,000 children, who need specialized care in outpatient specialty and satellite centers. With maternal-fetal medicine specialists and neonatologists available 24/7, Miller Children’s & Women’s cares for women with high-risk pregnancies and premature infants under one roof. Learn more at millerchildrens.org.
