FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 29, 2006
CONTACT: Tom Hanley, Public Relations Director
860.545.9954 or pager 860.220.3562 

A CHILD’S GIFT TO CONNECTICUT CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER HELPS KIDS “BLOW AWAY” PAIN

HARTFORD – When 5-year-old Lily Forand got money for Christmas, she decided to do something with it to help other children at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Lily began asking her parents, Debra and Edward Forand of West Hartford what she could buy that would make kids feel better.

From a telephone call to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center the Forand’s learned that the Child Life staff often use pinwheels to help children who are going through painful procedures. Nurse Nancy Bright of the Pain Relief Program said blowing a pinwheel helps a child “blow away the pain” of getting an injection. “The distraction really does help calm kids down,” Bright said.

Armed with this information Lily Forand began raising more money to buy as many pinwheels as possible. She saved the money she got from her parents for doing chores around the house, and with her three year-old sister, Lily ran a lemonade stand at home. “It was great to see the generosity of people who came to the lemonade stand,” Ed Forand said. “When people found out where the money was going, they gave a lot more than the cost of the lemonade. We’re very proud of her, this was Lily’s own idea and she made it happen.”

Lily raised enough money to buy an entire display of 72 pinwheels from Wal*Mart which she proudly presented to Child Life staff member Kim Wandishon. Lily said she felt happy “to help kids feel better who get needles in their arms.”