The celebration brought a much-needed dose of joy.
Young patients at the NYU Langone Cancer Center for Kids in Mineola enjoyed the facility’s annual Halloween celebration, complete with costumes, candy and pizza. The event has become so meaningful that even children who have completed treatment have asked to return.
Kim Krupa, the center’s certified child life specialist, told the Post that the gathering gives children and their families a chance to experience “joy and normalcy” during an otherwise difficult period.
It also creates an opportunity for families to connect with others who understand what they are going through, she said.
Parents dressed as beloved characters including “Paw Patrol” figures and Woody from “Toy Story” as they welcomed dozens of children and their siblings. The youngsters were able to leave their hospital rooms and gather in a conference room transformed for the occasion, with Halloween music filling the space.
Spirit Halloween donated costumes for the children to enjoy during the party and to use later this month, when the center plans to hold an indoor Halloween parade and room-to-room trick-or-treating.
For many families, Krupa explained, outside Halloween activities and trick-or-treating plans can be uncertain. The center’s party, however, is a celebration they can count on.
Many children had already chosen their costumes and were eagerly preparing for the festivities, she added.
Monday’s party was particularly significant for 3-year-old Declan Maudsley, who is battling osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer affecting his legs.
“This is the first time he’s been out since he was diagnosed,” his mother, Thalia, said. Until then, the family had taken him only to medical appointments and the hospital.
She said the expert team at NYU Langone was able to save Declan’s leg from amputation.
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Declan is preparing to celebrate his fourth birthday and completed chemotherapy two weeks ago. With the family planning to dress up together again in two weeks, the Halloween gathering carried extra emotional weight.
Declan has already decided on his costume: a hot dog. His mother joked that she could dress as ketchup while her husband becomes mustard.
Krupa takes particular pride in the tradition, which began in 2012. The party gives children a setting where they can simply enjoy themselves and feel no different from other kids their age.
The excitement starts earlier each year, with children discussing their costume ideas well in advance. Some former patients have even returned to take part after leaving treatment.
Vincent, the son of Gina Aglio, was diagnosed with leukemia at age 6 and attended the Halloween party for the third time this year. He arrived dressed as a frightening demon, following previous costumes inspired by “Scream” and “Star Wars” Stormtroopers.
“Everyone’s in the same shoes here, and you find your community,” his mother said. “So it’s really great.”
To Vincent, she added, the other children are simply friends—not kids defined by their illnesses.
This year’s celebration held special meaning for the now 9-year-old, as the Aglio family is marking the end of his treatment after his cancer went into remission.
Still, leaving the Halloween tradition behind will be “bittersweet,” Gina said, because the family has felt so welcomed and supported at the center.
“My kids love coming to these events.”
