LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A hospital stay isn't fun for anyone, especially kids. But doctors at Golisano Children's at the University of Kentucky suited up for a special activity with their patients Thursday, turning the hospital into a splash zone.
Pediatric hospitalist physician Dr. Bethany Hodge was one of the employees who geared up and entered the splash zone.
"We are dressed like this today so kids can paint us," Hodge said.
It was her first time taking part in the activity.
"This is my first year doing this so I have no idea what to expect," Hodge said.
The result was a whole lot of paint and a lot of laughs for patients like Layla Roberts, a fifth grader who typically loves oil painting.
"I thought I was going to paint a piece of paper," Roberts said.
Thursday looked a little different.
"I got to paint a doctor," Roberts said.
For Hodge, that's exactly the point.
"They get to do something different, break the rules a little bit, which is always nice when they're in an environment being told what to do, and a hospital is like that," Hodge said.
The activity is part of the child life program at Golisano Children's at UK, which helps pediatric patients cope with medical procedures and hospital stays. That includes getting used to equipment used at the doctor's office, like syringes, which on Thursday were filled with paint.
As for Layla's verdict?
"It was really, really fun," she said.
March is Child Life Month, celebrating the professionals who help children and families navigate medical challenges, trauma, and illnesses through therapeutic play, education, and emotional support.
