Galilee Medical Center recently opened a state of the art Pediatric Wing.  As part of this new and improved addition to the hospital, we are creating an indoor play area, or “Gymboree,” that will offer our youngest patients a safe and fun place to get exercise, continue their physical development, and ultimately just be kids. The new gymboree will be housed in a large dedicated space in the Pediatric Wing, with a special safety flooring that includes games printed or embedded right on the surface. Benches and sitting areas are also planned for the play area.

As we instinctively know and the experts tell us through scientific study, children need to play – to grow strong physically as well as to cope emotionally. The process of play helps to normalize a child’s experience being in a hospital and provides a healthy outlet for the pressure and stress that he or she may be experiencing as a patient.  The emotional benefits of play include:
• reducing fear, anxiety, and stress
• increasing calmness, resilience and emotional flexibility
…all tools that are critical to the recovery of a pediatric patient.

With your help we can continue to expand the impact of innovative, quality and compassionate care for the region’s diverse community. Please support these efforts with a donation to the American Friends of GMC. To make a secure donation online, please click here. To send your gift by mail, please make your check payable to “AFGMC” and mail to: American Friends of GMC, PO Box 789856, Philadelphia, PA 19178-9856.