For Kids Only

Waldo will do anything to help Seattle Children’s. He’s been entertaining patients throughout construction of Building Hope by asking patients to spot him as he visits different parts of the hospital. Now, he’s washing the building’s windows.

OK. So we’re stretching the truth just a little. The Waldo who materializes around our campus is a wooden replica that our contractor, Sellen Construction, created to engage patients and families. And those window washers dangling from ropes in red-and-white sweaters? They actually work for Outlook Exterior Maintenance and agreed to dress like Waldo at the suggestion of Todd Johnson, our vice president of facilities.

None of that changes the fact that Waldo – in whatever form he takes – makes people smile wherever he goes. Thanks, Waldo – and be careful up there!

Brrrrr! It’s getting cold outside, Waldo fans, but I just bundle up and keep on trucking because there’s too much to see to stay inside. The other day I watched workers pour the concrete for a new landing place for helicopters.

Most kids come to Seattle Children’s with their parents. Others come in ambulances. A few who are very, very sick or badly hurt come by helicopter because they’re far away and need to get here as soon as possible.

The new landing place – called a helistop – is near the new building that’s under construction. When the new building is finished, the emergency department will move in the first floor. The emergency department is where kids go when they need help right away. The new helipad and a special walkway will make it easy for kids to be taken from the helicopter straight to the new emergency department. Read full post »

I have a question, Waldo fans. How come lots of people get the flu every year, but I don’t? Because I always get a flu shot! Flu shots sound scary, but all you feel is a quick tiny pinch. That’s a lot better than feeling super yucky for a week! Read full post »

Lunch box? Check. Backpack? Check. Paper, ruler, pencils and pens? Check, check, check, check. It’s back to school time, Waldo fans!

My friend Brian Ross knows a lot about how to get ready for school and about all the things Children’s does to help kids learn while they’re in the hospital. Brian is the educational services manager at Children’s. That’s kind of like being the principal. Read full post »

Cancer isn’t something that only happens to other people. I know because it happened to me. My name is Emma. I’m 19 and live in Seattle with my family. This fall, I’m beginning culinary classes at Seattle Central Community College, but four years ago, I was battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma at Seattle Children’s. Read full post »

Sellen Construction and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects (ZGF) are more than designers and contractors. Throughout their involvement in planning and constructing Building Hope, they’ve gone above and beyond to support Seattle Children’s mission. They recently created a fanciful Building Hope coloring sheet that we’re giving to our patients. We’re also making the coloring sheet available for children to download at home. Three cheers for Sellen and ZGF and their ongoing kindness to kids.

Building Hope Coloring Sheet

Greetings, Waldo fans! If you’re like me, you hate to go inside when it’s sunny outside, but my friend Todd Johnson made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Todd is one of the people helping Children’s construct the new building that will open next year – Building Hope. Todd leads tours of the building and he asked me if I’d like to go on one. Of course I said yes!
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I meet a lot of interesting people as I walk around Seattle Children’s every day. Not long ago, I met the mayor of Seattle, Michael McGinn. The mayor came here to tour the Building Hope expansion and learn how the new building will help the hospital give more kids the care they need to get better. Read full post »

Hey there, Waldo fans, can you believe summer is finally here? I love summer, but when you walk as much as I do, the hot sun can make you extra tired. I’m lucky, though, because I can always find a shady place to rest under one of the many trees here. As a matter of fact, I’m resting under one as I write this blog.

Besides giving shade, trees do a lot of other cool (pardon the pun) things. Can you think of any other benefits trees provide?

There are about 100,000 different types of trees in the world. How many different kinds of trees can you name? Do you know which type is the tallest in the world? It’s the coast Redwood and we have one right here at Seattle Children’s! In the forest, it can grow more than 300 feet tall. That’s about as tall as a football field is long.

Did you know that that largest living thing in the world is a tree? This giant Sequoia – nicknamed General Sherman – grows in California and weighs more than 2,000 tons. That’s about the same as 10 train locomotives or 70 gray whales

Here’s another crazy fact. A certain kind of tree, the great bristlecone pine, can live to be more than 4,000 years old. We don’t have any great bristlecone pines here at Seattle Children’s, but we do have some trees that are more than 50 years old. That’s half a century!

The more I learn about trees, the more fascinating they become. Besides being just plain amazing, trees can also be a lot of fun to play on. How many ways can you think of to have fun with a tree?

Well, I think I’ve rested long enough, so I’m going to stop writing and start walking until the next time I find something interesting to share with you. So long!

Hi Waldo fans! If you like to play trivia games and guess about how things work — like how much, how big, how many, how long, how far and how heavy — I have a fun list for you! See if you can guess some answers to these fun questions about the construction site:

• Are there any construction jobs that women can’t do?

No, women can do any of these same jobs that men can do! Anyone who has the right training can do the work. Women are just as good at it as men, too.

• How many days will it take to make the new hospital building before it’s ready to open (from start of construction to end of construction)?

482

• How many hours of work will it take to make the new building, start to finish?

800,000

• How many tons of dirt were moved to prepare the construction site?

34,272

• How many gallons of water does the water pond hold?

40,000 Read full post »