CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Just off Chicago’s Magnificent Mile is a temporary gift shop for some special customers.
Lurie Children’s Hospital is hosting its annual Winter Wonderland shop for parents of patients.
Child Life Specialist Marlee Speak said the free event in the hospital conference room aims to provide gifts to 500 children, including patients and siblings of those who are in the hospital at this time of year.
“The emotional burden, the financial burden, sometimes the hospital and the holidays can bring onto families — we hope to make that a little bit lighter,” Speak said.
Among those shopping among the tables full of gifts was Tiffany Jones, whose daughter, Anaya, has been in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) since arriving three months ahead of her Christmas due date.
She called the space incredible after she picked out toys, books and stockings for her baby and her 7-year-old daughter.
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“It’s overwhelming,” Jones said. “It’s really awesome that so many people have donated gifts for kids.”
Jones said she drives an hour from Monee every day to see Anaya and added that this will give her more free time with her girls
Majorie Polidor was all smiles from behind a mask as she looked at a wagon full of gifts, from which she picked out presents for her 3-month-old son in the NICU here, as well as her 4-, 6- and 13-year-olds.
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“I’m done, I’m done, I’m done … I didn’t have a chance to do Christmas shop, so I’m not going to do any at all,” Polidor said. “I already have everything they needed.”
Staffers dressed in festive sweaters guided her through the space as they picked out toys, books, pajamas and winter coats.
Child Life specialist Katelyn Zilles said the tables full of gifts are the culmination of months of work by their donations team and others.
“Our donation coordinators are really the people that are behind the scenes and work with the community organizations and individual donors to garner the items that we have here in the shop,” Zilles said.
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