Children’s hospital patients, staff dance, lip sync for playroom

Patients and staff at Children’s Hospital University of Illinois dance and lip sync to American Authors’ song, “Best Day of My Life,” in a video to raise money for hospital playrooms.

The video was filmed Feb. 4 by Northwestern University Dance Marathon, one of the largest student-run philanthropies in the nation. Since its founding in 1975, the group has raised more than $15 million for more than 30 different beneficiaries.

The video is featured on the Today show’s “Good News” page.

The group plans to play the video at its 30-hour-long dance marathon as a morale booster to tired dancers. The marathon begins at midnight March 6 and ends at midnight March 9 at Northwestern’s Evanston campus.

This year, the group will donate part of its funds to the nonprofit Starlight Children’s Foundation. Starlight will use the money to build or improve hospital playrooms, teen lounges and pediatric treatment rooms, including the playroom in Children’s Hospital University of Illinois.

“The playroom is the heart of the pediatric floor,” says Lindsay Cousins, the hospital’s child life specialist. “The kids can visit the playroom and forget about their illness and just be kids. It’s a place where they can socialize, play and have a sense of normalcy.”

Children in pediatric intensive care and the pediatric unit use the playroom every day, Cousins said. “We have special events, movie night, holiday parties, face painting and other social activities.”

But the playroom, built in the 1990s, is ready for an update, Cousins said. She hopes the renovation will include enlarging the space, installing new floors, adding new furniture and a fresh coat of paint.