The Helen Hayes Hospital Foundation was awarded a generous grant from the Pediatric Hospital Support Program of Starlight Children’s Foundation^® NY*NJ*CT. The grant was used to build a therapeutic indoor activity gym and provide Nintendo Wii and Touch2Play gaming units at the hospital.

The Helen Hayes Hospital Outpatient Pediatric Treatment Program treats children with cerebral palsy, developmental delays, MS, brain traumas, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries and other conditions. The children range in age from birth to 16 years and benefit from physical, occupational, and other forms of therapies. Patients participate in a two, three or five day a week program, working toward their rehabilitation goals with a multi-disciplinary team of therapists.

The therapeutic indoor activity gym was a tremendous addition to the Outpatient Pediatric Program. Therapy on the gym—which features ladders, a climbing wall, monkey bars, and a ramp and roll system—not only builds strength, balance, and motor skills, but does so in a way that makes rehabilitation fun and provides encouragement for the Hospital’s youngest patients. The Nintendo Wii and Touch2Play promotes the development of physical and problem solving skills through games operated by body movements or the touch of a finger on a screen.