Cal Poly Dance Marathon visits new wing at Cottage Children's Medical Center

This post was submitted by Sophia O’Keefe, PR Chair for Cal Poly Dance Marathon for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/guest-post. 

On Thursday, Oct. 11, the CPDM Executive Board had the opportunity to visit the new wing of Cottage Children’s Medical Center and were blown away!

Beyond the fun opening celebration that Cottage put on with food, face painting and other activities, the incredible new space that will soon welcome patients and families stole the show.

Each amenity works to create a warm and homey place for the patients, which was really felt during the visit.

The NICU portion of the new wing is now conveniently placed next to the labor rooms so mothers can easily visit their children if needed.  The waiting room and hallways are decorated with murals and details that resemble Santa Barbara (for example the SB pier) which brings the space to life.  There are animal prints on the floor around the room and statues of commonly-seen Santa Barbara animals like the pelican. These details brought the surrounding outdoor scenery indoors to add comfort and familiarity to the space.

The rooms are thoroughly thought out for the child’s benefit, each with a stuffed animal and a blanket that the child can take home with them.   On top of all this, the staff was incredibly loving and friendly.

CPDM is so excited to see the positive changes that Cottage Children’s Medical Center is making.  We know our kiddos are in good hands here.

Sophia is a senior journalism student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the PR Chair for Cal Poly Dance Marathon. This is her third year as part of CPDM Executive Board, and she and the rest of her team are aiming to make more miracles happen for their 2019 Big Event. Sophia dances because she believes all children deserve an equal chance to live amazing lives and that we can all help make that happen.