At Maimonides Children’s Hospital, we believe in celebrating milestones and making the hospital experience less scary for our pediatric patients and their families. Celia Chan, 5, was an inpatient at the Children’s Hospital while recovering from a severe case of pneumonia, and was unable to graduate along with the rest of her kindergarten class. But Maimonides, Little Wishes (a nonprofit), and the New York City Department of Education teamed up to throw Celia a surprise graduation party, filled with balloons, snacks, and many well-wishers.
“Events like this graduation allow children to feel a sense of accomplishment and joy, even while they’re facing medical challenges,” said Alexis Ellis, manager of patient and family support at Maimonides Children’s Hospital. “It’s our privilege to support these moments and help bring a sense of normalcy and happiness to our patients and their families.”
A Maimonides child life specialist and hospital educator helped Celia finish kindergarten, and pediatric staff were there to present Celia with a diploma and help her and her family celebrate this accomplishment. Next stop: first grade!
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About Maimonides Health
Maimonides Health is Brooklyn’s largest healthcare system, serving over 320,000 patients each year through the system’s three hospitals, 1,800+ physicians, and more than 80 community-based practices and outpatient centers. Our system is anchored by Maimonides Medical Center, one of the nation’s largest independent teaching hospitals and home to centers of excellence in numerous specialties; Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital (formerly New York Community Hospital), a 130-bed adult medical–surgical hospital; and Maimonides Children’s Hospital, Brooklyn’s only children’s hospital and only pediatric trauma center.
Maimonides’ clinical programs rank among the best in the country for patient outcomes, including our Heart and Vascular Institute, Neurosciences Institute, Bone and Joint Center, and Cancer Center. For additional information, please visit www.maimo.org and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.