Pediatric Playroom Opens at Critical Care Facility in the South of Israel

NY-based non-profit Toys for Simcha constructs a Pediatric Playroom, an oasis of video games, books, and toys for patients and their families at the Assuta Ashdod Hospital south of Tel Aviv.

The hospital, which opened in 2017, now has a pediatric playroom. In this kid-friendly space, patients and their families can escape their hospital beds and combat the boredom of hospital life with fun and games. The Toys for Simcha Playroom features a lounging area, a video game corner, a reading library, a foosball table, and toys or tech for toddlers to teens.

"After a string of terror rocket attacks near Gaza, we began visiting children at Assuta Ashdod Hospital, gifting toys and tech to bring joy to the children at the pediatric department. We realized there were no diversions for young patients and their families. We wanted to make a permanent impact for the children being treated there. So, we enlisted support to build a proper playroom," according to Adam Rodriguez and Hodaia Ben Simhon, who operate Toys for Simcha in Israel.

New Yorker Asher Zamir, who piloted and sponsored this initiative, said, "A few friends and I decided to build and furnish a state-of-the-art playroom. We are thrilled to partner with the hospital to design a kid-friendly sanctuary where kids can be kids while they heal.

"Happy kids heal faster," said JJ Hecht II, president of Toys for Simcha, an extension of Toys for Hospitalized Children, the non-profit established by his grandfather to bring smiles to children of all religions in New York City hospitals. "We're proud to have grown my grandfather's vision, and today we bring toys, technology, and books to hospitalized children in the US and Israel. Through the generous donations of our patrons, we're helping bring joy to hospitalized children and dispel some of the monotony and isolation of hospital stays. We are very grateful to our donors, team, and the folks at the Assuta Hospital who worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality."

“The playroom is making a huge difference for the brave children undergoing treatment at the Dr. Lina Drahi Center for Pediatric Medicine, helping them smile through the pain, fear and uncertainty and inspiring us all with their courage,” remarks Dr. Yoni Yeshayahu, head of the Pediatric Department.

In expressing her deep appreciation for the generous playroom donation, Shira Berliner, Director of Philanthropy at Assuta Ashdod, says, “We thank Toys for Simcha for their ongoing collaboration with the hospital – and for their commitment to bringing moments of respite, happiness and healing to the children in our pediatric ward.”

From left Shay Shriki, Dr. Erez Barenboim, Director General. JJ Hecht. Moshe Suissa. Dr. Yoni Yeshayahu, Head of Ped Dept. Adam Rodriguez. Hodaia Ben simhon. Medical Clown

From war torn Ukraine to happiness

Bombings, homelessness, and family loss, are some of the devastations Ukrainian children are facing. Thanks to first responders many children were able to cross the border to safety in Poland.

Rabbi Stambler in Warsaw is providing shelter to hundreds of Ukrainian children who have escaped. Together with Rabbi Stambler Toys for Hospitalized Children distributed toys and games to bring happiness to these children. These gifts brought a sense of normalcy and allowed them to forget their painful reality whilst playing.

Our motto, Happy Kids Heal Faster, is based on research that a child’s emotional state of mind directly correlates to their physical well being.

Many more children need our services. Click here to contribute to our Ukraine Fund. Every dollar makes a difference and will be used to bring happiness to refugee children.

Another way to help our efforts in Ukraine is to like and share this post.

Maimonides NICU Reunion

Toys for Hospitalized Children took part in the Maimonides Children’s Hospital NICU reunion. The NICU reunion was a magnificent event which celebrated the life of 300 Maimonides Hospital NICU ‘graduates.’ At the event, these miracle children were able to enjoy jumping on a bouncy castle, eating cotton candy, getting their face painted, and receiving a toy!

We gifted toys to the hundreds of children in attendance - many of whom are still living with significant disabilities. We met many preemie babies born as early as 23 weeks old, and the smallest baby ever born at Maimonides Hospital who weighed under one pound at the time of her birth.

We thank all of our amazing sponsors for donating the toys for this event, including Make It Real, Iron Flask, Spin Master, and Watchitude.

Most importantly, we are so grateful for the opportunity to bring so many smiles to childrens’ faces!