Halloween Carnival held for patients at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital

Some kids aren't able to leave Prisma Health Children's Hospital, so staff threw them their own Halloween Carnival Thursday morning.

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — On Thursday, children across the Midlands will be going door to door getting all of the Halloween goodies. But some kids aren’t able to leave Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, so staff threw them their own Halloween Carnival Thursday morning.

“They forget that they’re sick for just a minute. And they’re able to enjoy Halloween and enjoy this carnival-like atmosphere, and be a child. Which is what we are hoping for,” said Christy Fink, Manager of Child Life and Special Programs at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital.

This is the 12th year that hospital staff have hosted the Halloween Carnival, to make sure all kids get a chance to just be kids.

“The families that have never experienced it come downstairs and they’re just blown away by the amount of the commitment that the whole team has to their children and their family in helping them have a successful holiday,” said Fink.

“It’s nice getting the kids who are stuck in the hospital to be able to come down and just have a little bit of fun,” said Dr. Stanton Adkins, Pediatric Surgeon at Prisma.

At the Carnival there were costumes, games, face-painting, toys and themes. And of course, there was candy.

“It’s special cause I know a lot of kids can’t really go trick-or-treating, so it’s fun,” said Eliza Kuol, 13, a patient at the hospital.

“It’s like normal trick-or-treating, but it’s in a building,” said Michael Luis-Wise, 11, another patient.

“It’s great. Cause I don’t want to lay in the hospital bed and not get no candy,” said Gracie Sherouse, 15, also a hospital patient.

The hospital staff volunteer, to make sure the kids get to enjoy all the Halloween fun.

“I think it’s great cause it’s like he’s not missing out on anything and making him feel like maybe it would feel if he was at home,” said Candice Wise, Michael’s mother.

“We want our children to remember that they are children, even though they’re here and getting things done that no child wants to have done,” said Fink.

About 80 kids and their families went to the Halloween Carnival.