AdventHealth to open "Timmy's Playroom" for pediatric patients in Daytona Beach
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - The Tim Tebow Foundation is lending a hand to help bring joy to pediatric patients and their families at AdventHealth Daytona Beach.
Timmy's Playroom will be a colorful oasis where kids can just be kids and play. The room will be decorated in football décor that is "reminiscent of Tebow's days as a star football player at the University of Florida and in the National Football League." It will also be a place of inspiration, with a verse from the Bible (Philippians 4:13) that reads: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
"From personal experience, I know how valuable healthy play can be during an extended hospital stay. With the premature birth of my son, Alex, I had the opportunity to understand first-hand how a place like this can provide a welcome distraction and a stress-free time-out when a family is enduring challenging health issues," said Jill Simpkins, a member of the AdventHealth Daytona Beach Foundation board of directors. "This, coupled with the extraordinary infant and pediatric care provided by AdventHealth Daytona Beach, can produce miraculous results. Children have a special place in our hearts and we are committed to their health and wellbeing."
Timmy's Playrooms have opened in several hospitals in Florida including Tampa, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, but this one will be the first to open at an AdventHealth hospital.
The playroom will be located on the hospital's fourth floor where there are services specifically designed for women and children.
The new Timmy's Playroom at AdventHealth Daytona Beach will also be the most technologically advanced playroom yet. There will be plenty of interactive games and will accommodate children with special needs.
The idea for the hospital playrooms came from Tim Tebow when he played football at UF and visited sick kids at UF Health Shands Hospital.
"That is what led him to create Timmy's Playrooms, one of several outreach programs of the Tim Tebow Foundation, which he formed to serve the needs of children who cannot fight for themselves," according to an AdventHealth press release.
Timmy's Playroom at AdventHealth Daytona Beach is set to open July 31.