KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Grinch stole hearts at Bronson Children's Hospital this week, visiting young patients ahead of his live performances at Miller Auditorium Friday and Saturday.
As of posting this article, there are still some seats left for sale. The first show is at 7 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, there are two shows. One at 11 a.m. and the other at 3:30.
The beloved Dr. Seuss character made a special appearance to meet with the hospital's youngest patients, bringing smiles and moments of joy during their treatment.
While some children were excited to meet the famous character, others had mixed reactions to his unique appearance.
"It can go different ways. Some are very excited to see me, because I am quite the star, and there's no one like me. But sometimes, kids can be a little unsure about me, because I guess I look a little different than some of the who's here," the Grinch said.
For hospital staff, the visit represented much more than entertainment. Wendy Kellogg, a Child Life Specialist at Bronson Children's Hospital, emphasized the therapeutic value of such interactions.
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"It is more than just a visit. What this means to our patients and families is that they get to not be a patient, but they get to be a kid," Kellogg said.
These moments of normalcy can be rare in a hospital setting, where medical care typically takes priority over childhood experiences.
"It's more than fun. It's therapeutic for them. It's just as important in their healing journey, for them to have visits and socialization like this, while so much is focused on the medical aspect of things, this helps bring in their psychosocial aspects of things. Helps them feel normal," Kellogg said.
The Grinch may be known for stealing Christmas, but at Bronson Children's Hospital, he stole hearts instead. The Grinch also brought book donations to the children's hospital collected at an event at BookBug in Kalamazoo.
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