Chalk up another successful year for HUP’s tree-decorating contest. While competition was fierce, the results were amazing. According to Marjorie Schwab, a member of the Abrahamsohn Christmas & Easter Committee, this flow of creative juices was exactly what they hoped for when the Committee launched the initiative more than 20 years ago. Read below to see how this year’s winners have once again brought holiday spirit to a new level:
Ravdin 6: Throughout the unit, a “revised” version of the Gingerbread Man story followed the cookie as he traveled through Philadelphia, avoiding the “evils” leading to health problems specific to the unit’s cardiothoracic populations. For example, he smartly bypassed an old factory filled with asbestos as well as “Couch Potato Avenue!” And in the hallway, gingerbread men danced on a red garland simulating an EKG heart beat while others blow on pinwheels, a real part of rehab! According to Erin Weissenburger, who came up with the gingerbread man idea, “They tailored the story to fit the patient population.”
In addition to the story – which was printed out and its pages spread throughout the unit – lollipops, made from pool noodles “candy striped” with white duct tape, decorated the walls. A cut-up tablecloth were “sutured” together to make festive curtains. Weissenberger said the unit went all out this year…. and it definitely paid off!
Ravdin 8: Moms of preemies in the Intensive Care Nursery don’t always get the opportunity to cuddle their fragile newborns but this is their dream. Using Peter Pan as the theme, the ICN staff urges families to believe in their dreams, as he did. Sitting atop the tree, Tinker Bell reminds people that sometimes “all you need is faith, trust, and a little pixie dust.”
Beyond Tinker Bell, the decorations in the unit’ family waiting room included scenes from the story, including Peter Pan visiting the Wendy, John, and Michael Darling in their home, the youngsters’ flight over Big Ben, and the Jolly Roger pirate ship in Neverland with the crocodile waiting for any “tidbit” thrown overboard!
While the whimsical theme was Ashley Brennan’s “vision,” creating the story was a group effort taking 12 hours to put together!
Ravdin 9: Who better to illustrate the power of team work than the Eagles who powered ahead to win the 2018 Super Bowl? With the family waiting room providing a stadium backdrop, surgeons from Urology, Neurology, and Otorhinolaryngology – including Sean Grady, MD, Tom Guzzo, MD, and Greg Weinstein, MD – became football players. Little jersies with the names of everyone who helps provide patient care decorate the tree.
Everyone on the unit always uses the Ravdin 9 “special play”-- Deliver the best care every day!
Silverstein 10: Alice in Wonderland came to life on this unit, where “mad” means staff are passionate to give their transplant patients what it takes to make it through their recovery. “This is impossible,” Alice lamented to the Mad Hatter. “Only if you believe it,” he responded. That was the message to patients: It’s about hope and strength. It’s not impossible to get through. Also making “appearances” were the White Rabbit, Catepillar, Chestshire Cat, Door Knob, and the Dormouse peaking out from the teapot on the finely set table all ready for the tea party!
Rhoads 6: No one wants to be in a hospital, but it’s especially hard around the holidays. With the help of the “Philadelphia Express,” staff brought the sights of what makes Philly so special during the holidays onto their unit. From Love Park to the Liberty Bell, the train “passed” from room to room, bringing in holiday spirit and boosting morale for the patients and families of this oncology unit.
“Many patients are here during the holiday so we wanted to create a positive mood,” said Amanda Ward., adding that the unit’s night shift pulled it all together, some of whom came in on their own time to make sure it got finished. Decorations on the tree included train tracks with a little train made from tissue boxes and medicine cups, with staff photos in the window.