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CHICAGO — At La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago, superheroes and beloved animated characters are bringing joy and comfort to young patients.
Disney, which owns ABC7 Chicago, has been transforming the ceilings in certain rooms to create more welcoming environments.
The ceilings now feature cherished characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel, giving children familiar faces to uplift them during their stay.
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Hospital visits can be daunting for anyone, particularly for children. In response, The Walt Disney Company is sprinkling some of its signature magic to help ease the experience.
Ladhaj Lock shared her relief, knowing her son has Mickey Mouse watching over him. Her son, who recently turned two and adores Mickey Mouse, is dealing with a brain condition. Thanks to Disney, his room at La Rabida now includes a tile featuring Sorcerer Mickey and other favorite characters.
Ladhaj Lock, mother of patient“He doesn’t have many procedures, but when he does, seeing those pictures will make him smile,” Lock expressed. “Especially seeing Mickey Mouse will help him feel at ease after those challenging procedures.”
Ladhaj Lock says she feels better already knowing Mickey Mouse will be by her son’s side. The mom says she and her son, who turned 2 years old Thursday and loves Mickey Mouse, won’t have to battle his brain condition alone now that the toddler’s room at La Rabida Children’s Hospital dons a tile of Sorcerer Mickey and other Disney characters.
“He has not that many procedures, but when he does, I think see in the pictures will make him smile, especially Mickey Mouse, and make him feel comfortable after having those tough procedures that he does have,” Lock said.
The hospital, located in Chicago’s Jackson Park neighborhood recently transformed the ceilings of 39 patient rooms with Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars-themed tiles.
The effort is a part of the Disney Children’s Hospital Initiative. It’s a $100 million global commitment to children’s hospitals.
The activation is a part of a broader goal to improve the patient experience and brighten their stays by replacing blank ceilings with their beloved Disney characters.
“It can help us for procedures. It helps us for distraction and redirection and make those for child life,” La Rabida child life specialist Xavier Sudlow said. “Our biggest goal is to have each and every procedure stress and anxiety.”
La Rabida is a small pediatric specialty hospital that caters to children with lifelong medical conditions serving roughly 9,000 kids a year.
The Disney elements are like mini murals and are bright and visually stunning. They feature Disney characters and stories, depicting scenes from well-known animated movies like “Frozen,” “Cars” and “The Incredibles.”
Those at the hospital expect the Disney tiles to make quite a difference not just for patients, but for their families too.
“I like it, and I just like the Disney characters, and I know how much kids love Disney… so it’s gonna be good for them,” Lock said.
So far, the company has provided more than 1,500 children’s hospitals and pediatric places of care in 45 countries with inspiring installations, themed hospital gowns, toy deliveries, hospital visits and more.
It’s expected all of the tiles will be installed by Friday, hopefully adding a little excitement and providing joy and some comfort to the children during their stay.
The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of this news station.
