Over the weekend of April 22-24th, 2016, Smilezone Foundation transformed FIVE SMILEZONES in the Neuromuscular and Epilepsy Centre at the Children’s Hospital of London and Western Ontario!
The Paediatric Neurology and Epilepsy hallway, waiting room and treatment rooms were transformed into a kid-centric camp setting, designed to brighten hospital visits for paediatric patients with neurological disorders. Children and families will make use of the new Smilezones as they access treatment for a wide range of neurological disorders that impact their mobility, physical and psychological health. Some of the conditions addressed within this program include epilepsy, strokes and brain tumours.
This stunning and fun transformation included:
Throughout the transformation process, Smilezone Foundation worked closely with both the Children’s Hospital and Children’s Foundation staff teams, clinicians, and Dr. Craig Campbell in order to create fun and functional spaces, enhancing the care environment for approximately 900 children and youth who visit the clinic annually. Additionally, the young patients and families who visit the centre were fully involved in the development of all design elements of the space. Keeping in mind their vision for a space that inspires learning, playing and healing, it was important to design a Smilezone that incorporated family-friendly components to become a place of positive distraction.
Children’s Hospital has been caring for children and their families since 1922. Children’s Hospital is the regional paediatric referral centre for Southwestern Ontario, serving an area of over 29,000 square kilometers and a population base of more than 400,000 children. Children’s Hospital cares for the most medically complex and critically ill patients in our region. Last year, the hospital received nearly 107,000 patient visits, including more than 33,000 visits to the Paediatric Emergency Department.