Lincoln Elementary’s Girls on the Run students give back by donating sensory bags for South Florida Baptist Hospital pediatric rehabilitation patients.
Lincoln Elementary’s Girls on the Run team sprinted into the hearts of local pediatric rehabilitation patients at South Florida Baptist Hospital (SFBH) last month when they delivered 75 individual sensory care packages to assist with their therapies.
Girls on the Run is a nonprofit organization that inspires individuals of all abilities to recognize their unique strengths while building a sense of connection in a team setting. Coaches facilitate lessons that blend physical activity with life skill development, the culminating skill being “contribution” to build lives of purpose by making a meaningful contribution to community and society.
Heather Padgett, Physical Education Specialist at Lincoln Elementary, said the girls looked for a project that would have a local impact. “They explored options in our hometown of Plant City and after a discussion they decided to make sensory packages for pediatric rehabilitation patients at the hospital, many of whom need help with gross motor, fine motor skills and speech therapy,” she said.
Padgett reached out to a friend who works as an occupational therapist at SFBH and, through connections, was given a list of practical items- stickers, crayons and Play-doh- that the children could use to enhance sensations of touch and engage the muscles that enable patients to manipulate objects more easily. For many of these patients, everyday tasks, like tying their shoes, holding a pencil or brushing their teeth, can be challenging, and they require intensive therapy to improve the fine motor skills necessary to control movements in their hands and fingers.
“Many children we see have diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, autism, and Down syndrome that affect their abilities to perform tasks that most of us take for granted,”said SFBH Manager of Rehabilitation Services David Davenport. “Our job is to work with the children and their families to not only improve movement and dexterity, but to also teach strategies to compensate for deficits that might remain.”
Hospital employees were touched by the girls’ thoughtfulness. “We always appreciate it when members of the community think of us and the needs of our pediatric patients, but it’s even more special when our local children are the ones reaching out,” said SFBH Supervisor of Rehab Services Jennifer Ackett.
When the care packages reached the young patients, their delight was evident. When presented with her care package, 12-year-old Jackie pinched pieces of Play-doh between her fingers before smushing them onto a popsicle stick, while 7- year-old Zoey chose to use a pipe cleaner and star sticker to make a bracelet.
Padgett said the girls were able to see pictures and video of the patients using the items from the care packages. “I was able to show the girls so they could see the impact that they made and the smiles they put on faces,” said Padgett. “Little did I know, not only did the girls have an impact, but I truly believe it made just as big of an impact on our girls.”
For more information on Girls on the Run, visit gotrtampa.org. For more information about SFBH Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation Center visit baycare.org/locations/s/south-florida-baptist-hospital-pediatric-outpatient-rehabilitation-center.
