Twelve female USA Volleyball players, led by Courtney Thompson, visited the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California on Monday, May 23rd, 2011. The players spent the afternoon visiting various play rooms and interacting with the children. The athletes and children played video games and board games, painted pictures, and played “house.” Thompson and the other players even visited some of the rooms of the patients who are in early stages of recovery from their ailments. The day concluded with the signing of autographs and the distribution of volleyballs to the children.
The Children’s Hospital of Orange County strives to nurture, advance and protect the health and well being of children. They are one of the busiest children’s hospitals in the nation with four centers of excellence: The CHOC Children’s Heart, Cancer, Neuroscience, and Orthopaedic Institutes. The Child Life Activity Specialist at the hospital, Amber Ayala, had this to say about the visit:
“At the end of the playroom shift, the patients didn’t want the players to leave! They wanted to continue playing with them. The visit helped distract the patients from feeling any pain or sadness. You could see the joy in the patient’s eyes! It was a great experience and one they will never forget!”
This is a list of the USA Volleyball players:
Kayla Bandworth, Jenna Hagglund, Angie Forsett, Tamari Miyashiro, Lauren Gibbemeyer, Alexis Crimes, Nicole Fawcett, Nicole Davis, Becky Perry, Kristin Richards, Cynthia Barboza, and Courtney Thompson