NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On the eighth floor of Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, a game room gives young patients a chance to escape, reset and just be a kid again.
Now, there's more to work with.
Former patient Ollie Graves returned to the hospital — not as a patient, but as a giver. Through Starlight Children's Foundation, she donated a new gaming system for the play room.
"It's important to keep those spirits high and keep their moods up, so that they can continue fighting and win their battles," Graves said.
Graden Knapp, the hospital's pediatric gaming and technology specialist, works to turn play into progress for patients.
"How can we play video games, but also throw that into your care, whether that's fine motor or gross motor skills," Knapp said.
For kids dealing with long days, hard moments and big changes, the game room offers something that can be hard to come by during a hospital stay — a sense of control.
"That is kind of the foundation of my work, is I really try and give them back that control," Knapp said.
The new gaming system expands what Knapp can offer, reaching even more patients and helping lower anxiety.
"Making kids smile and, I don't know, just making kids' days is really important when they're having really long, hard days," Knapp said.
The donation is expected to have a wide impact.
"This will change the lives of hundreds and hundreds of patients just this year," Knapp said.
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