TODAY news - March 21, 2002

Thursday, March 21, 2002 TODAY

Loma Linda University Children's Hospital news

San Bernardino law enforcement officials visit Loma Linda University ChildrenÕs Hospital


While visiting the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, special detail probation officer John Combado plays a Nintendo 64 game with Nathan, an LLUCH patient, in the unit 5800 playroom.	Marcos Mollino demonstrates his “slime” to officer Mike Hamrick.

Mike Hamrick, a patrol officer with the San Bernardino Police Department, likes to play football. He and the Inland Empire Enforcers football team play in a police league all across Southern California. They’ve played against some burly competition in the past. But on February 28, Officer Hamrick and his teammates faced off against some different players.

The LLU Children’s Hospital kids from the pediatric oncology unit and the pediatric heart center hosted the police football players in the playrooms and their patient rooms. Interacting with the patients during the afternoon, some in police uniform and some in football gear, the police officers helped the kids take part in fun educational activities.

At the pediatric oncology unit playroom, Marcos Mollino was doing the teaching. He showed Officer Hamrick and patrol officer Brent Baker how to make “slime.” With the help of the child life assistant and some common ingredients, Marcos concocted a green ball of goop to share with the visitors. Marcos may have even discovered the next step in catching criminals—incapacitating them with slime.

The officers also made sand art with Marcos, combining salt and colored powder in plastic containers. Toothpick-created holes allowed the kids to make some cool designs.

Marissa Rivera does “syringe painting” with patrol officer Mike Hamrick of the San Bernardino Police Department.

Up in the pediatric cardiac unit playroom, kids were busy playing with the law enforcers at several different stations. Some played video games with the “boys in blue,” others played memory, and even a game of UNO broke out. But the highlight was the syringe painting. Child life assistant Sarah Perrenoud provided needle-less syringes and cupfuls of paint for the kids and officers to squeeze out onto pieces of colored construction paper. It was hard to tell who was enjoying the artwork more—the kids or the officers.

Besides playing with the kids, the team did more than just volunteer their time. They played a charity football game on March 2 against the San Jacinto police squad’s team, the “Hawgs.” The game took place at the old San Bernardino Stampede Stadium at 6:00 p.m. The team raised $5,000 at their game. All proceeds were donated to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“We try to do something every year,” Officer Hamrick says of the team’s charitable game. “And we like to keep the charity local. We wanted to go to the hospital and support our kids.” This is the first time the Inland Empire Enforcers have come to visit the Children’s Hospital, but Officer Hamrick hopes it won’t be the last.

“Hopefully we can develop a lasting relationship.”

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Dr. Seuss Day hits Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital

Alyse Breaux watches as the Cat in the Hat (Diana Walden) shows her the illustrations to Dr. Seuss’ tale Go Dog, Go!

On March 1, a special visitor and 12 members of the Children Up with Books (C.U.B.) Club shared the joy of different Dr. Seuss stories with patients at the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

They came to celebrate Read Across America Day, a nationwide recognition of Theodor Seuss Geisel’s birthday.

The volunteer club members read to kids in the pediatric oncology unit (kids with cancer), a
general pediatric floor, and the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. All the stories were original Dr. Seuss tales.

For 45 minutes, the special visitor read to the kids. Dr. Seuss’ “Cat in the Hat” made the rounds of the pediatric oncology unit and general pediatric floor.

Diana Walden, a volunteer at the hospital who is about to enter the snuggler training program, dressed the part and read The Cat in the Hat, Go Dog, Go!, and Green Eggs & Ham to the children she visited.

The C.U.B. Club, sponsored by the Big Hearts for Little Hearts Inland Empire Guild, brought Dr. Seuss books with them to leave at each playroom on the three floors they visited for kids to enjoy all year long.

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