Hannah Paquette virtually makes crafts with kids while unable to visit in-person due to COVID-19.
Credit: Courtesy of A Moment of Magic Foundation
Bridget Rogers said she remembers a time pre-pandemic when she donned dresses and wigs, went into hospitals and surprised kids with their favorite characters.
Rogers, a second-year in biomedical sciences and co-magic experience coordinator of the A Moment of Magic, spent weekends in costume, singing and dancing with sick children. Although the COVID-19 pandemic largely prevented visitors from entering hospitals, it did not stop A Moment of Magic from continuing to connect with hospital patients in new and innovative ways.
“Medicine is much more than just being treated in the hospital,” Danielle Lutz, a second-year in economics and fundraising chair for the organization, said. “We provide an opportunity for kids to just be a kid and be with their families to make things more normal for them.”
A Moment of Magic is a national, nonprofit organization that visits chronically sick youth in hospitals while volunteers are dressed up as recognizable characters to boost morale and lift spirits, according to the organization’s website. Ohio State’s chapter was recognized in 2017. Members have dressed up as a variety of characters in the past, primarily princesses such as Leia from “Star Wars,” Tiana from “Princess and the Frog” and Belle from “Beauty and the Beast.”
The national organization has put over 850 student volunteers through character training, where students spend 40 hours shadowing other character volunteers and fundraising for their own costumes before being “coronated” as their characters at the end of the training period, according to the organization’s website.
When the university shut down from the COVID-19 outbreak March 2020, members were not sure what the future would look like for the organization.
“The demographic that we serve are often children who are immunocompromised and in the at-risk population, so suspending in-person visits and transitioning immediately to a virtual format was, and continues to be, extremely important,” Rogers said.
Once club members realized that hospitals would not be allowing visitors, Rogers said the organization pivoted to find a socially distanced way to continue bringing activities to kids.
“Facebook Lives are currently how we are reaching the largest number of children and are [providing] all different activities, like book readings, crafts and sing-alongs done by a variety of characters,” Rogers said.
Although the transition was not easy, A Moment of Magic still believes their work is making an impact, Rogers said.
“[Virtual visits] are almost more magical now, as we are able to connect with many families all over the world that we might not have had the opportunity to visit in person before,” Rogers said.
Even with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, members are still unsure about when hospitals will allow visitors, but Rogers said they will continue making magic.
“I believe that A Moment of Magic has changed for the better,” Rogers said. “We now have some amazing virtual programming that allows those in areas far from established chapters to utilize our services, and being virtual has made us closer as a national organization.”
