Detroit, MI – Halloween came early for young patients at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, thanks to the heartwarming efforts of Spirit of Children, the charitable foundation of Spirit Halloween. Dozens of children at the southeast Michigan children’s hospital were treated to a delightful day filled with costumes and Halloween activities.
Among the young patients was 4-year-old Asher Dolega from Franklin, who has been bravely battling health challenges, including a brain bleed and stroke-like symptoms during his month-long stay at the hospital. With the help of volunteers from Spirit Halloween, Asher was able to choose a blue ninja costume from the pop-up shop set up for patients.
Asher’s mother, Lauren Dolega, expressed her gratitude: “He was worried about not getting candy and not getting to dress up, but it’s so nice that they’re doing this. Being here every day for this long is exhausting for both us and him. So to have new activities and special events to get him out of his room and to do something different is really, really great.”
This heartwarming event was made possible through a collaboration between Spirit of Children and The Children’s Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Through generous donations from vendor partners, Spirit of Children will provide over 35,000 costumes to pediatric hospital partners, including Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
Hospital staff and Spirit of Children volunteers are working together to organize various special events, including costume parties and trick-or-treat celebrations, in hospitals across the United States and Canada. These activities bring a sense of normalcy to children who are missing out on school costume parades, class parties, and traditional trick-or-treating due to their hospitalization.
Sinead Nimmo, Child Life Specialist at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, highlighted the importance of such events: “Opportunities for fun experiences like the Spirit of Children celebration are so important in helping kids cope with illness and hospitalization. It can help ease the feelings of isolation and loneliness that we often see when kids are in the hospital around important, celebratory times of the year.”
Spirit Halloween has also extended its support to the community. Shoppers at Spirit Halloween stores or SpiritHalloween.com who use a 10% off coupon will trigger a 10% donation to their local children’s hospital by Spirit of Children.
Since its inception in 2006, Spirit of Children has raised more than $110 million for its partner hospitals through the generosity of Spirit Halloween supporters. In 2023, they aim to raise $18 million, with 100% of these funds supporting Child Life departments at 159 pediatric hospitals throughout North America.
Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween and Founder of Spirit of Children, expressed his gratitude for the impact the program has had: “Halloween is especially magical for children. For children in hospitals, a Halloween celebration brings joy and fun during a scary time.”
Andrew Stein, president and CEO of The Children’s Foundation, emphasized the incredible support for young patients: “The Child Life team is essential to kids and families processing diagnosis, treatment, and hospital stays. It is because of generous philanthropic partners like Spirit Halloween that wellness efforts like this one supporting the whole child exist.”
For more information about Spirit of Children, please visit SpiritofChildren.com.
