A 25K donation helped make this possible at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
The Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation recently celebrated the opening of a new teen lounge at Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children.
The teen lounge was funded by a $25,000 gift from ARVF, an organization that provides a variety of Victorious 4 Teens programs to hospitalized teens and young adults battling cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. ARVF was founded by the DiNatale family in memory of their daughter Alicia Rose, who was diagnosed and treated for a rare-form of cancer and endured a 13-month battle before her passing at the young age of 16.
“The teen lounge gives young adults a space that is uniquely their own — a haven to explore interests, try new activities, cultivate hobbies and hone skills during their stay at the hospital, however long or brief,” said Gisele DiNatale, co-founder of ARVF. “During Alicia’s treatments and procedures, she was disappointed that there were not a lot of ‘grown up’ things to keep her occupied. Keeping her experiences in mind, we were inspired to bring a special space to children’s hospitals around the country, designed specifically for teen patients to enjoy.”
The opening of the teen lounge at Nemours marks the 65th teen lounge location funded by ARVF across the country. The lounge is housed within the hospital’s newly opened clubhouse — a beautiful, spacious area for young patients and their families to escape and where children are encouraged to play, create, imagine and just be kids. The center features special areas including a CCTV studio, a kitchen, a dramatic play space and a sensory room for children who have individual developmental needs, such as autism. Run by the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy team at the hospital, the clubhouse is open 24 hours a day, seven days week and was made possible by local donors, including ARVF, who contributed nearly $3 million to make the clubhouse vision a reality.
“The clubhouse is a place to step away from the stress of clinical care,” says Jennifer Sciolla, Director of Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy at Nemours/Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children. “We greatly appreciate the support of the Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation, which provided critical momentum to make this project a success.”
ARVF has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Nemours. In 2004, ARVF donated enhancements — a TV, DVD player and computers — to the existing teen lounge space at the hospital. Additionally, ARVF has distributed more than 250 teen kits and bandana pillows to teen and young adult patients at Nemours since 2005. Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children was the second hospital across the country to receive Alicia’s Art Cart in 2017 and Nemours duPont Pediatrics located in Deptford, NJ received Alicia’s Art Cart in 2018. ARVF has also provided funding to ensure that the carts in both locations are kept fully stocked for patients.
“We are grateful to have cultivated such a strong relationship with Nemours over the years,” continued DiNatale. “Nemours is one of the only hospitals across the nation who have benefitted from all five areas of our mission fulfillment — Teen Lounges, Teen Lounge Enhancements, Teen Activities, Teen Kits/Bandana Pillows and Alicia’s Art Cart. Our hope is that this relationship will continue to grow and that our Victorious 4 Teens programs will make patients’ time at Nemours a surprisingly good experience.”
