Help Change Kids’ Health During #ChildrensHospitalsWeek

During the week of April 6-12, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, its 170 member children’s hospitals, corporate partners, programs, and supporters are celebrating #ChildrensHospitalsWeek!

#ChildrensHospitalsWeek is a week dedicated to shining a light on the needs of children’s hospitals throughout North America. Children’s hospitals are caring for the more than 10 million sick and injured kids that enter through their doors every year.

Children’s hospitals are needed now more than ever and they are committed to serving their local communities through the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet these urgent demands, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is committed to ensuring 170 children’s hospitals across North America have the resources they need to care for the most vulnerable kids. The reality is: Kids Can’t Wait for a cure, for the curve to flatten or for an economic boost. See how donations to CMN Hospitals are assisting hospitals in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic here.

How you can support children’s hospitals during #ChildrensHospitalsWeek:

1. Fundraise/Donate

Donations made through Dance Marathon and CMN Hospitals allow for funds to be utilized by your local children’s hospital in the areas where they need them most.

If your program still has an active fundraising page, we encourage you to share your fundraising page with friends, family and on social media to ask for donations to help vulnerable children get the care they need at your local children’s hospital. Feel free to use some of the Kids Can’t Wait talking points. We’ve compiled fundraising resources and graphics to help you with your fundraising in the MNDM Children’s Hospitals Week Dropbox folder.

If your program does not have an active fundraising page, you can support your local children’s hospital through the Children’s Hospitals COVID-19 Impact Fund. We encourage you to share this with friends, family, and on social media as well.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, children’s hospitals can use funds for:

• More equipment – Healthcare professionals are in need of additional protection equipment and ventilators to care for kids who are sick and an anticipated influx of COVID-19 patients.
• Operations – Children’s hospitals are suspending treatments to further protect the health and safety of their communities, requiring alternative sources of funding for everyday operations. Philanthropy ensures kids have care close to home when they need it most.
• Charitable care – Growing unemployment rates indicate more families are losing health benefits. The already significant gap between what is covered by insurance and government programs and what it actually costs to care for kids is continuing to widen.
• Child life resources – Experts in helping kids cope with uncertainties, child life specialists at children’s hospitals are sharing resources with families to help them manage heightened stress and anxiety, and spending time with patients whose families can’t be in the hospital.
• Virtual care – Children’s hospitals rely on virtual technology to continue caring for kids while they are home and to reserve beds for the sickest patients.
• Resources – Scientists at children’s hospitals are helping in the fight to find COVID-19 cures and treatments.

View this post on Instagram

Children’s healthcare is underfunded, and kids can’t wait while the funding debate continues. Children’s hospitals are caring for sick and injured kids, but they need our help now. During #ChildrensHospitalsWeek, you can help change kids’ health to change the future #ForTheKids being treated at local @cmnhospitals! . . Check out the link in bio to see how you can be a changemaker! . . #KidsCantWait #ChangeKidsHealth #FTK #philanthropy #charity

A post shared by Miracle Network Dance Marathon (@dancemarathon) on Apr 6, 2020 at 7:33am PDT

2. Share a Bandage Photo

Grab a bandage, write the name of a patient from a children’s hospitals who inspires you in your work “For The Kids,” put it on your hand, take a picture, and post it with the hashtag #ChildrensHospitalsWeek! Share your story as to why you participate in Dance Marathon and how this patient has inspired you.

3. Change Your Profile Picture Frame

You can add a “Kids Can’t Wait” #ChildrensHospitalsWeek profile frame to your Facebook photo by clicking here. Show your support for the 170 children’s hospitals committed to serving their local communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.

4. Post on Social Media

Miracle Network Dance Marathon has compiled a whole Dropbox folder of social media graphics, assets, and more for you to use to help spread the word about #ChildrensHospitalsWeek!

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChildrensHospitalsWeek in your posts! You can also use #ChangeKidsHealth and/or #KidsCantWait when applicable.

Resources available include:

• Patient photos, bios, and video stories to help share stories of patients treated at children’s hospitals.
  • You can also find more about the 10 CMN Hospitals national Champions here.
• Social media graphics, including CHW promotional graphics, “Kids Can’t Wait” graphics, cause impact graphics, fundraising Instagram story templates, and more
• PSA videos featuring CMN Hospitals patients
• and more!

Thank you for helping to Change Kids’ Health to Change the Future during #ChildrensHospitalsWeek!