FUN CENTER

Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation recently donated a Fun Center to the Pediatrics Unit at St. Charles Bend. This innovative device is specially designed to enable children with limited mobility to play video games and watch DVD’s. The Fun Center offers a bright spot in the day for young patients and relief to their parents. This was certainly the case for one recent patient.

Recently 9-year-old Jason Looney, Jr., came to our Critical Care Unit. This usually robust fourth grader loves to play football and he’s proud that it takes three or four boys to tackle him to the ground. However, the day he arrived at our hospital he was listless and anything but healthy. What he and his family didn’t know is that he’s diabetic. 

Luckily his story has a happy ending. After three tense days, Jason started to perk up. That’s when the nurses rolled in the Fun Center . Although weak, Jason had a big smile on his face for days as he watched his favorite DVD’s and played Mario Superstar Baseball.

His mom Cindy, said, “It’s been a God-send for Jason. At first he could only watch movies because he couldn’t use his arms.  But now he’s progressed to using the game controls. And the screen is really clear!”

By the end of the week Jason was back to his venturesome self. He admitted