Patients strut their stuff during holiday parades

Everyone loves a parade. And there's something special about the processions of patients that occur on Floor 18 (G18) in the Main Building four times a year -- at Easter, Independence Day, Halloween and Christmas.

“这个传统早在我之前就在这里开始了，”凯瑟琳·甲虫说，她是G18的临床护士，那里大多数病人都有过stem cell transplants. "他们有免疫抑制，有时病得很重，这可能是孤立的。游行为他们和他们的家人提供了一个机会，让他们和他们的家人有创意地制作和装饰他们的静脉注射杆。希望这能让他们忘记呆在这里。”

Reminding patients that they're not alone
会场的工作人员参与筹备工作，也参与活动。你可能会看到其他楼层的医生、理疗师甚至工作人员、病人和护理人员参与到手工艺中，并在G18走廊周围游行。

G18医院的临床护士简·西勒说：“这与节日甚至奖品无关，它更重要的是让所有患者走出房间、搬家的活动，并提醒他们，接受治疗的不仅仅是他们。”。

幸福是有感染力的
The pole parades, which Beetle has coordinated since 2008, are among many events on the patient floors that nurses and other employees organize. And until a recent gift from the Volunteer Endowment for Patient Support, many of the decorations were purchased from the nurses' own pockets. Beetle says it makes her and her co-workers happy to see the patients happy.

Siler agrees and adds, "It means so much to us to see the excitement. These patients are our heroes."

这个故事的较长版本最初出现在我们的员工双月刊《信使》（Messenger）上。