INDIANAPOLIS–Tuesday marked the beginning of the 12 Days of Christmas at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis.
It started with a party featuring holiday Mickey Mouse, pizza, and a gift of LEGO sets. Team JOEY donated the LEGO sets. Team JOEY is the pediatric branch of the Heroes Foundation, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting those fighting cancer and similar diseases. They also threw a Hot Box Pizza Party and brought in Mickey Mouse.
“I’ve seen lots of joy and smiles and happiness. One thing COVID took away from us for a while was that togetherness of patients and families in the hospital so it’s wonderful to get to see some of our oncology patients get together and those friendships and those bonds that they’ve created,” said Madison Hershberger, Child Life Specialist at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.
The reason for LEGOs? The staff there says “they’re small, but mighty like our young patients.”
“We have lots of events coming up. One day Santa is coming, we also have the Polar Express coming that’s dropping off gifts and hot chocolate. We have cookie decorating, we have Christmas crafts, we have other holiday festivities. We have holiday bingo and games and a big surprise for our patients who have to be here on Christmas so there’s lots more to come, this is just the first of 12 days,” said Hershberger.
