Boston Children's Hospital Every Child Fund

Families from all 50 states and more than 100 countries come to Boston Children’s when they can’t find the care they need for their child near home. At the nation’s premier pediatric hospital and research center, we never stop searching for lifesaving answers and offer expert treatment for rare and complex conditions. Your donations advance breakthroughs, bring comfort to kids during long hospital stays and keep their families strong. One way you can bring joy into the hospital is by supporting our creative arts and gaming programs.

About our gaming program

After multiple surgeries, one patient was sad and frustrated to be confined to bed. Her gaming specialist recalls, "We fit her with a Virtual Reality headset and 10 minutes later she was giggling and saying 'I'm on Mars! I'm on Mars!'”

With your help, child life technology and gaming specialists find creative ways to help kids cope with anxiety and long stays in the hospital.

Two specialists and a volunteer team make bedside visits, invite kids to game together and socialize in playrooms or enjoy bingo broadcasts from Seacrest Studios. They also host gatherings for family movie nights, performances and VIP gaming events when celebrated musicians and professional athletes visit.

During stressful times, playing familiar games gives kids a chance to feel in control and a sense of normalcy. Gaming specialists also play along to help patients reach therapeutic goals. For example, a specialist might encourage walking or taking drinks between rounds of a Mario Kart game to make recovery fun.

Thank you for helping kids

Your donations fund services that speed healing, let kids be kids and help families when they need it most. Visits from art, music and gaming specialists, therapy dogs and clowns bring smiles and laughter. Thank you for helping turn discoveries into lifesaving treatments and bring hope to our brave patients at Boston Children’s Hospital!

Kennedy’s family finally found answers and hope, only 90 minutes from their home.

Kennedy is a joyful little girl who has faced unbelievable challenges.

Not long after she was born, Kennedy stopped feeding and her oxygen levels dropped lower and lower. Doctors at other hospitals couldn’t determine what was wrong and offered little hope. After six weeks with no answers, her parents, Dan and Nikki, knew they had to act.

“We’re 90 minutes from the best children’s hospital in the world,” Dan and Nikki said to each other. “Why don’t we give Kennedy the best shot at care?”

At Boston Children’s, everything changed. The family was met with optimism and an expert care team. Kennedy needed open-heart surgery, and it was a success. But there were more hurdles ahead.

Tests revealed that Kennedy had a rare condition that comes with several challenges. One of them was that her windpipe was weak and prone to collapse, making it hard to breathe. Kennedy needed a breathing tube to keep her airway stable. The procedure to insert the tube into her neck was a scary prospect, but Dan and Nikki knew everyone at Boston Children’s had Kennedy’s best interests at heart.

'Everyone just went above and beyond'

While Kennedy grew stronger, her family was buoyed by the kindness of everyone at the hospital.

When Kennedy’s young cousins visited, a child life specialist prepared them for what to expect and engaged them with an art project. Another day, Nikki and Dan reluctantly left to attend a family wedding and the nurses FaceTimed them with a sweet surprise—Kennedy in her flower girl dress, so she could be part of the big day.

“Everyone just went above and beyond to keep us going and make us feel like family,” says Nikki.

A happy homecoming

After five months at Boston Children’s, Kennedy could finally go home. Her care team helped Dan and Nikki make a smooth transition. They learned that an 18-mile move across state lines would allow them better access to health insurance, so Kennedy could be cared for at home. That small move has made a huge difference in the family’s life.

Today, Kennedy is “the smiliest, happiest kid in the world,” Nikki says. She is a proud big sister who loves music and seeing her friends at school. The family was thrilled to visit Disney World together—something they never dreamed would be possible during those scary first weeks of Kennedy’s life.

“We’re just so grateful,” says Dan. “I don’t know if she would be here if it wasn’t for the people at Boston Children’s.”

Watch this video to meet Kennedy and see how you can make healthy futures possible for kids like her.

Your gift will turn discoveries into cures and innovative treatments and bring hope to families at Boston Children’s Hospital!