Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Brings Trick-or-Treating To Patients
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Halloween 2021 will look different than last year, for many kids that's something to celebrate, especially some patients at Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital.
"So, it was all of a sudden one of our co-workers messaged us and said, let's be germs and we were like what?" Genesis Garcia, a nurse said.
If this pandemic has taught anyone anything, it's that germs are indeed scary, they can lead to serious diseases like COVID-19.
"So they all started one after another I'm rhino entero, I'm COVID," Garcia described of co-workers picking viruses to be for Halloween.
Last year around this holiday, there was no vaccine, and questions about the virus were all still up in the air.
"Before it was like all we talked about and regulations and all the new regulations and keep us safe."
The vaccine has helped change things, though strict precautions remain in place at the hospital. Visitors are still limited to only two parents.
"Usually during Halloween, we have a nice huge party in our atrium area where we get everyone out and it's a real good time," Shannon Bajwa, Child Life Specialist said.
Halloween has usually been a huge cheerful event for patients, so staff wondered, what they could do to help spread fun, but not the germs.
"I mean you know, we're getting into the healing portion of it, and we jumped on it," Garcia related.
Jumping on it means nearly every department decorated their units, or dressed up or both, and helped to deliver goodies, in what the hospital calls, reverse trick-or-treating.
The hospital staff believes the power of play is important, especially in the lives of children recovering from a health issue.
"So all day everyone's like you're germs, and there's the vaccine," Garcia said.
This year the staff are having just as much fun as the kids, and Halloween 2021 will likely be a more spirited event for both patients and workers.
