Texas Children’s Dedicates Hospital Floor in Honor of Spirit of Children Charitable Foundation

Houston-(March 6, 2024) – Texas Children’s Hospital is pleased to announce the name dedication of a Texas Children’s Hospital West Tower floor in honor of its long-time philanthropic partner, Spirit of Children.

 
The Spirit of Children Patient and Family Floor, located on the 16th floor of Texas Children’s Hospital West Tower, is a unique space where patients and families can gather and find Texas Children’s Art Studio, Child Life Zone, Classrooms, Kids Own Studio and more. Texas Children’s recently hosted a ceremony to unveil the new signage and pay tribute to Spirit of Children.

 
“We are excited to name a floor in honor of our long-time generous partner, Spirit of Children,” said Paige Schulz, Vice President of Patient Support Services at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Being in the hospital can be hard for patients and their families — especially when they have to miss favorite holidays like Halloween — but thanks to Spirit of Children, we are able to bring some of that holiday fun to children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to celebrate.”

Texas Children’s Hospital has received close to 4 million dollars in donations from Spirit of Children since the start of its partnership in 2008. Texas Children’s, whose Child Life Team, collaborates with Spirit volunteers, hosts numerous fun activities for children each year and turns some events into parades to bring the excitement directly to patients in beds. The Child Life Department at Texas Children's, working as part of a comprehensive health care team, strives to alleviate stress and to support patients as they adjust to the hospital experience by providing developmental, educational and therapeutic interventions — music therapy, animal-assisted therapy and art therapy, among others.

    
“Partnering with the Spirit of Children campaign has been transformational for our team,” said Mary Tietjens, Assistant Director of Clinical Support Services in the Child Life Department at Texas Children’s. “Due to the incredible passion of our Spirit of Halloween Associates, the Child Life Department has all the resources needed to not only educate and support our patients but also bring them joy.”
Every October Texas Children’s Hospital Child Life Department is able to provide thousands of Halloween costumes, decorations, celebration kits and everything needed to bring parties to children who cannot leave the hospital. Spirit of Children – Spirit Halloween’s charitable foundation – donates all these items in addition to a yearly monetary donation. 
 

“We could never have imagined the impact Spirit of Children would have when we first started this program, but through the incredible efforts of our team and guests, we have seen many magical moments shine a bright light on what’s often a dark and scary time in children’s lives,” said Richard Tereo, Director, Spirit of Children Foundation.  
 

Learn more about Texas Children’s Child Life Department. 
 

About Texas Children’s

Texas Children’s, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The system includes the Texas Children’s Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO for children; Texas Children’s Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.