GREEN BAY - Saturday morning, children from across Northeast Wisconsin will marvel at the sights and sounds of the holidays at the 36th annual Privea Green Bay Holiday Parade.
Right now some kids are sitting in a hospital bed unable to enjoy the magic of not just the parade but all of the fun and magic the Christmas season brings.
So NBC26, with the Scripps-Howard Foundation decided to bring a little holiday magic to them.
We made it our mission to bring some of the most beloved children's book titles into the hands of those who may need an extra lift this year.
Lynne Lavota from Scholastic Book Fairs in Milwaukee says giving the gift of books to children in the hospital is a welcome distraction to what medical crisis they may be going through.
"No matter what their struggles and strives are that they have that opportunity to celebrate by choosing books they can't wait to read," Lavota says.
More than 500 books. Each one handpicked from Scholastic Book Fair's 75,000 square foot warehouse.
"It's really about maybe giving them a couple of minutes away from what they are going through at that moment, that excitement of something new but also that they just feel loved," adds Lavota.
After our shopping spree, we took our haul to HSHS St. Vincent Children's Hospital.
Last week a sudden respiratory illness took 4-year-old Carlee Baker away from her home and into the ICU at HSHS St Vincent Children's Hospital.
"She just went downhill really fast," says her mother, Mindy Baker. "Having to be transported here by ambulance because she needed oxygen because she wasn’t going to make it driving here by ourselves. So that was pretty scary," Mindy says.
Carlee and her health care team are working hard to get her back to normal. But spending your time at the hospital, for most kids, is anything but normal. Strange sounds, different faces, and new routines can be scary for kids and their parents.
"This can be a difficult situation, regardless if it is a short visit or a new diagnosis," says Lauren Vanden Heuvel a Child Life Specialist at HSHS St. Vincent Children's Hospital.
NBC 26 delivered books by the wagon full into the hands of children who would use a little comfort.
"It's such a healthy distraction. It allows them to feel as comfortable as they can while they're here," Vanden Heuvel adds.
"Specifically for the kids, the joy of reading..the gift of that for a child is so so special especially during these times, the holidays," says Heidi Warpinski, Executive Director of St Vincent Children's Hospital and Privea Pediatrics.
Even after stacks of new books were delivered to the children, enough books were leftover to arm hospital staff with more books for new patients and their families.
Just a little gift to help make spending the holidays in a hospital bed a little less scary.
"That's going to meet and provide so many smiles and happiness and joy to patients and families while they're here which we are so grateful for," says Lauren Vanden Heuvel a Childlife Specialist at HSHS St. Vincent Children's Hospital.
"She was pretty excited. I think that made her day," says Mindy Baker as her daughter, Carlee dives into her wagon full of new books.
