Fountain Valley, CA – December 1, 2010 – Every year at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital Santa leaves giant sacks of toys for kids hospitalized over the December 25th holiday. The generously filled sacks are made possible through the efforts of Joni’s Angels, a non-profit organization whose volunteers are teens who engage in interactive play, share music, read or simply sit by the bedside of a child in the hospital to help relieve parents or families whose lives are affected by a child’s serious illness.
Hospital employees, physicians, their families and members of the community are able to contribute to the toy sacks through donations (both toys and donations in lieu of toys) to Joni’s Angels Holiday Drive Fund. Joni’s volunteers help collect and fill the sacks according to the child’s age and coordinate donations to families that have been “adopted” by the hospital. Every child in the hospital’s pediatric unit, pediatric ICU and neonatal ICU on Christmas Day will receive a sack.
"To be in the hospital over Christmas can be very disheartening for any child and his or her family. With the help of Joni's Angels and all their supporters, our pediatric patients are surprised and delighted every year by Santa,” says Adrienne Feilden, the hospital’s Child Life Specialist. “Our goal at FVRH is to normalize any holiday as best we can for our pediatric patients. For example, the kids get to make cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve like many families would do at home. The joys of the holiday are brought to life within our hospital."
“We’ve had such a great relationship with the hospital and its patients that each year we offer to coordinate a toy drive for the kids – “it’s what we want to do for the families who are so special to the hospital and to us,” explains Deborah Stowell-Buffkin, Executive Director of Joni’s Angels. Joni’s Angels has worked closely with the pediatric playroom in the hospital since 2007, making the family experience more joyful in spite of the circumstances surrounding their stay.
Joni’s Angels volunteers come from 17 Orange County-area high schools and enjoy the positive interaction with the pediatric patients. “In most cases, parents are at the bedside for days. The Joni’s Angels volunteer offers a small window of time for them to take a walk, get a coffee or a meal, while not having to worry about their child being alone”, shares Deborah.
The hospital may see up to 33 kids, ranging from infants to teenagers, who are hospitalized for various reasons over the holidays, including acute asthma, pneumonia and other serious illnesses. Some may have already been in the hospital for weeks before the holidays arrive or need to stay beyond.
Fountain Valley Regional Hospital has an 11-bed pediatric intensive care unit, a 21-bed pediatric unit for less critical kids and a Level III, 23-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. As one of the few hospitals in the county offering pediatric care and with a full complement of pediatric subspecialists, it offers a high level of care for children that some other community hospitals don’t. And parents have the comfort of staying close to their kids in the hospital with the full attention of nurses and physicians trained and dedicated solely to the care of kids.
Judy Walsh, a pediatric registered nurse at the hospital, has worked over 20 Christmases in her nursing career. "My kids are grown," Walsh said. "My grandkids are in Indiana. What better place to be than with these kids on Christmas? They make the best of wherever they are."
Last year, 50 jumbo sacks with toys and treats were given out and 3 families were also adopted to help make their holidays a little brighter. If you are interested in giving a toy or making a donation in lieu of a toy to a hospitalized child, or a needy family, please contact Joni’s Angels on behalf of Fountain Valley Regional Hospital at (949) 263-5910. Donations can also be made directly at www.JonisAngels.org.
About Fountain Valley Regional Hospital:
Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center (FVRH), a 400-bed acute care hospital, is one of the most comprehensive medical facilities in Orange County. The hospital’s core services include the Orange County Institutes for Heart & Vascular Care, Spine, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery and Pediatrics, with advanced neonatal and pediatric intensive care, and Maternity services. Our continuum of care also includes transfusion-free medicine and surgery, 24-hour emergency care including the first accredited Chest Pain Center in Orange County, surgical weight loss services, and outpatient services. FVRH is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. To learn more about Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center please visit www.fountainvalleyhospital.com.
About Joni’s Angels:
Joni’s Angels is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3), organization, EIN #20-5014412, whose mission is to provide a window of time for the relief of the families and children whose lives are profoundly affected by the child’s long-term illness and the catastrophic changes they face in the new focus of each day in their life. The Joni’s Angels office is located at 2901 W. Coast Hwy., Suite 200, Newport Beach, CA 92663. For more information, please visit us at www.JonisAngels.org.