In-House Station Throws Party
Aug. 18–Six-year-old Amanda Pena was sitting off to the side at the Miami Children’s Hospital playroom, not really participating in the party happening around her.
That’s when a volunteer with the hospital’s Radio Lollipop ambled over and handed her a packaged toy. Amanda’s eyes lit up.
“Happy Birthday, Radio Lollipop,” Amanda began to join the others in singing.
The radio station, one of two similar operations in the United States, celebrated its ninth birthday Thursday night. The festivities included food, games, visits from local leaders and even a wildlife show with baby alligators.
Radio Lollipop’s mission is to create a entertaining environment for children in hospitals through broadcasts and accompanying games.
It’s more than a radio show that patients can listen to in their rooms through their TVs; it’s an interactive experience.
Armed with baskets of crafts, Radio Lollipop volunteers go room-to-room four nights a week and hand out activities, which volunteers help design for 120-plus kids.
On Terrific Tuesdays, Wacky Wednesdays, Thrilling Thursdays and Super Saturdays, volunteers take their jobs to more than a notch above a candy striper.
Thursday’s evening was different. More than 50 volunteers came out along with patients and their families as the party ran alongside Thrilling Thursday’s broadcast.
A Caribbean Castaway theme turned the playroom into an island paradise. Harry Binker, 27, and Colleen Cummings, 48, who volunteer on Tuesdays came dressed in pirate paraphernalia: eye patches and parrots, and sashes and scarves.
“It’s amazing; every time a child smiles, laughs and giggles it makes it all worthwhile,” Cummings said.
Special guest DJ Laz from WPOW-FM (96.5), a Miami Children’s Hospital patient as a child, kept the evening’s tunes coming and made shout-outs to those who couldn’t be inside the playroom for the bigger party. At that moment, a little girl came in the studio to request Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl as everyone started dancing.
During regular broadcasts, DJs man the in-house studio and take requests from patients who can either come in, or if they’re not feeling up to it can phone in by dialing “4444″ on their telephones. That’s what Jessica Barcelo, 13, said she enjoys doing.
“I like calling in the radio and choosing my own songs like Britney Spears. It keeps me from being bored at the hospital,” she said.
Maidelys Navarro, 12, had been in the hospital for almost four weeks and said she can get bored easily.
“At night, I don’t want to look at the TV, so I listen to the music on Radio Lollipop,” Maidelys said.
Lauren couldn’t attend the main party. So the party came to her. She made a party hat and showed off her scar from her surgery to T.D., the Miami Dolphins mascot who came in to sign autographs. “Everybody’s been so nice to me here,” Lauren said.
Said Lynn Heyman, director of community and volunteer resources at the hospital: ‘I was in the hospital last week and I overheard a pre-teen as she was being admitted say, ‘I can’t wait for Radio Lollipop!’ For at least those two hours, they feel like they’re not in a hospital,” Heyman said.
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