TOLEDO, Ohio — Hospital visits can be stressful, especially for kids. Nationwide Children's Hospital-Toledo is working to ease visits with Butterfly Wagons.
When children arrive at the hospital the first thing, they see are the butterflies. But with the Butterfly Wagon Program, the hospital's logo is not just décor on the walls anymore.
These butterfly shaped wagons are a colorful way to transport kids safely who need to get to appointments, labs and X-rays around the hospital. They can be comforting through what can seem like long and endless hallways.
Donna Ruedisueli, chief nursing officer at Nationwide Children's Hospital-Toledo, says they have 10 wagons in Toledo, but their Columbus campus has more than 350 wagons.
Through more donations they hope to acquire more for their Cherry Street location.
"Prior to the Butterfly Wagons we had regular wagons that we would transport the children in, but they had really low sides they really weren't designed for that they were designed for children outside of the hospital, so from a safety standpoint we had to be very careful," said Ruedisueli.
The Wagons are made in Ohio of the same material which canoes/boats are constructed and cost $1,500. If you choose to donate a butterfly, you can also add a plaque to honor a loved one.
"It's really nice because we are supporting an industry that supports our state. Its by Wonder Works of America," said Ruedisueli.
The hospital recently received a $10,000 donation from the 2023 Dana Open, which will also go towards adding supplies and more wagons for kids.
"For the children that we serve to be in the wagons, first of all their face lights up when they see it because they are fun. In the hospital children are scared, it's a very scary environment. Sometimes we have to do things sometimes that are not fun so when a child sees the wagon, they can get that distraction, they can have a fun journey as they travel on the wings of a butterfly," said Ruedisueli.
To make a donation to purchase a wagon for the hospital, click HERE.
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