Helping Kids Have Fun at the Hospital

Mary Bridge child life specialists help kids understand and feel less anxious about the hospital

By Evan Webeck September 16, 2015

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This article originally appeared in the October 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.

One bad childhood trip to the hospital can set you up for a lifetime of trauma. So when 7-year-old Kyla, who has an intense fear of needles, needed her blood drawn at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, its unique staff of child life specialists stepped in. They bonded with Kyla by playing with her, walking her through the procedure and even allowing her to “draw blood” from a medical play doll beforehand.

“Because of a child life specialist, Kyla trusts health care,” says Kyla’s mother, Kolene Beltran. Reducing nervousness over medical care for the hospital’s young patients is the child life team’s specialty. What started as a one-woman job 35 years ago is a team of 10 strong today, with approximately 150 volunteers assisting. “Children need more than medicine,” says Anna Ahrens, director of patient and family support services.

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