Beacon NICU & PICU patients get a special surprise from the Zoo

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) -The Potawatomi Zoo welcomed its first guests of the 2022 season when the gates opened at 10:00 AM Friday morning, but not everyone gets to enjoy the first day at the zoo.

Young patients in Beacon Memorial Hospital’s NICU & PICU can’t leave the hospital, so the zoo is coming to them.

All of them received goodie bags filled with zoo-themed fun including puzzles, cheetah sunglasses, animal stamps, animal masks, and more to celebrate the new giraffes.

The gift bags also supply these kids with a chance to feel like they’re part of all the fun during a really tough time in their young lives.

“That way they know that they’re still included even though they’re still here. The nurses enjoy it as well. We are pediatrics, we are kids at heart, so we don’t mind getting in on the fun as well. So, it’s fun for the staff as well,” said PICU Pediatrics manager Jennafer Sammetinger.

A generous donation from a supporter of both Beacon and the Potawatomi Zoo made this surprise possible.

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