Play at Shriners Children's Erie

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Rebecca Bowman, PT, DPT, Manager of Rehabilitation Services:

At Shriners Children's Erie, we're able to offer an environment that is fun. It's colorful. It doesn't appear as a standard medical office. So here, walking into the building, kids easily find their way. They're looking for the next toy they want to play with. They're looking for the friendly face, the smiles of the staff. And then walking back into the therapy space, we have the toys, the equipment. We also have a therapeutic playground on our property, which is very unique. And so for a child to come here and feel like they're playing, they don't realize how hard they're actually working and how difficult and challenging the activities really are. And that's what helps them achieve their goals.

Michelle DeRooy, CCLS, Child Life Specialist:

I run the sled hockey program. It is a fantastic program, because if you don't know what sled hockey is, the kids are able to play hockey, they get in a sled, a special sled that they can sit on. And they have specialized sticks that one end is a pick and they can propel themselves, and then they can turn them around and hit the pucks with it and everything. We do have another program. It's the wheelchair basketball program that is ran during the summer. In the backside of the building, there's a basketball court, and the kids sit on sports wheelchairs and they get two hoops set up. And in the past they've brought in local teams. And, again, the kids get to play basketball and it's really fun to watch them because they get really into it and everything. It's really cool because you have kids that want to be able to do sports, but they may not be able to. And just to see the joy, it just gives them the freedom that they've not been able to do it. And it's so awesome to see that kids can do anything.

Micheal Widrig, Marketing & Communications Manager:

Children are not small adults. They require specialized care. We provide that pediatric focused care here in Erie, and our providers understand the special needs of children, which are different than adults. And so that's the main reason I would never take my children anywhere else for care.

Michelle DeRooy:

Play is so important because it's such an important part of a child's life. It's natural to them. It's what they know. And so they're coming to a very unfamiliar situation, very uncomfortable situation, but they know play. And so if I bring in toys, they're going to be like, "Oh, I just get to play." And that's what we want them to do. And it's amazing even watching them play with the toys, the doctors can see what they need to see, watch how their hands move, or I'll be like, "Hey, come get this toy," and they'll walk right to me because it's something fun and it allows the doctor to see what they need to see too.

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