Smilezone Foundation revitalizes paediatric spaces for children and families
Some of Cambridge Memorial Hospital’s youngest patients and their families have been given a new reason to smile. In early 2020 prior to COVID-19, the Smilezone Foundation revitalized eight Smilezone pediatric Spaces at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, with generous support from the Maidment, Walker, Campbell and Moffat families.
With COVID-19 and the lack of space due to construction, the hospital made a very difficult decision to temporarily use the Paediatric space as an adult unit to help support its pandemic response. The goal, of course, is to restore this space for children and families once these challenges subside.
These bright, fun Smilezones include murals, interactive gaming equipment such as a light floor projector, iPads and Xbox, TV’s, kid-friendly furniture and more – all meant to help improve the experience for children and families when they visit the hospital. The Smilezone transformations include the rapid sub-acute treatment room, emergency department pediatrics playroom, the Hallways, Treatment Rooms and Youth Waiting Room in the Pediatrics Unit, and the Pediatrics Day Surgery Prep and Recovery Room. Children and their families will be greeted with beautiful nature and hockey themed wall murals, while the sensory and gaming technology will help ease what can sometimes be a stressful experience for children.
Representatives from Cambridge Memorial Hospital, the Smilezone Foundation, and the Maidment, Walker, Campbell and Moffat Families enjoyed a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting at Blackshop Restaurant earlier today.
With the recent opening of our new patient care facility at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, the Smilezones that welcome our younger patients and their families provide a friendly, warm experience at every step of their hospital visit. We are incredibly grateful to Smilezone and the immense generosity of the Maidment, Walker, Campbell and Moffat families for their meaningful gift,” said Patrick Gaskin, president and CEO, Cambridge Memorial Hospital. “Our paediatric staff and physicians are passionate about delivering exceptional patient care and now their surroundings complement the care they provide every day.”
"Smilezone Foundation is truly thrilled to be a part of this exciting renovation at Cambridge Memorial Hospital,” said Scott Bachly, Chair and Co-Founder of the Smilezone Foundation. “We are delighted with the new Smilezones, giving children and their families a reason to smile during their hospital visits. We are grateful to the Walker, Maidment, Campbell and Moffat Families for generously supporting this project, honouring their family ties to the Cambridge community.”
“It is our privilege to work with these two incredible organizations, Cambridge Memorial Hospital and Smilezone Foundation. We hope we have been able to make some of the young patients and their families experiences better during challenging times.” – Karen Maidment
For information on ways to support community health care and to see photos of the new Smilezone, visit www.cmh.org. To learn more the 320+ Smilezones in hospitals and healthcare facilities across Canada, visit www.smilezone.com
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ABOUT SMILEZONE FOUNDATION:
Smilezone Foundation is a registered charity based in Oakville, ON, committed to putting smiles on kids’ faces. Founded by Scott Bachly and Adam Graves in 2012, the Foundation’s mission is to make tough days a little brighter for kids receiving treatment in hospitals and healthcare facilities. We do this by creating fun and engaging “Smilezones” that harness the uplifting power of a smile for the kids and their families. Please visit smilezone.com for more information about the 320+ Smilezones across Canada.
ABOUT CAMBRIDGE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: Cambridge Memorial Hospital is an acute care hospital offering a full complement of integrated services including surgery, maternity, laboratory, diagnostics and emergency. It employs over 1,600 dedicated and skilled health care professionals, technicians and staff, 250 physicians and almost 500 volunteers providing exceptional care to the residents of Cambridge, the township of North Dumfries and the Region of Waterloo. For more information, visit www.cmh.org.
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Photo: Left to right: Dave Maidment, Amy Campbell, Karen Maidment (with her sons Ben and Chris behind her), Julie Glass and daughter (Scott Walker’s wife and Daughter), Founder Scott Bachly, Scott Walker, Andrew Moffat, Stacy Moffat and Adam Graves (Co-Founder)
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