Facepainting, bingo, waffles, and a chance to just be a kid. Last week Primary Children’s cancer unit hosted a special picnic at Sugar House Park for children with or who have beat cancer, as well as their families.
5-year-old Ariana (Ari) Paxton has battled neuroblastoma since 2013. For her mom, Lisa, the picnic meant a lot to the family. “Ari was so excited to attend the picnic again this year. It makes her feel special that the cancer team would put on an event away from the hospital for the kids. It makes me happy to see my daughter so happy.”
Everyone enjoyed delicious waffles covered in their favorite toppings. A team of volunteers painted fun designs on the kids. Each child had a chance to win a prize for either catching a fish from the “pond” or getting blackout in bingo. “Bingo is my favorite activity, because I almost won,” said Ari.
The team also set up a table where the children could draw a picture of what cancer looked like to them.
Cathy Haskins, Medical Social worker for the cancer unit, said, “We want to provide a night that can be fun for the kids and their families. Its a nice change for us to see the children outside the hospital setting doing something fun.”
“It’s amazing to see the whole family together,” said Kristen Steglich, Medical Social Worker for the cancer unit, “It is probably what means the most to me.”
So good to see these kids outside and doing stuff! I bet this was a lot of fun for them!