Chief Executive Officer, Diana Hendel (center); Director of Public Safety, Joe Cruz; Child Life Manager, Rita Goshert; and Miller Children’s Volunteer, Pete Amico, accepted more than 500 DVDs from the Long Beach Police Department on behalf of the Child Life Program at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. Representing LBPD was Long Beach Police Chief, Jim McDonnell; Deputy Chief, Robert Luna; and Lieutenant, Christopher Morgan.

The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) collected more than 500 DVDs for pediatric patients at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach and on Friday, June 21, Police Chief, Jim McDonnell; Deputy Chief, Robert Luna and Lieutenant, Christopher Morgan, delivered five wagons full of DVDs to be distributed for patient use throughout the hospital.

“Our hearts go out to the patients at Miller Children’s,” said Police Chief, Jim McDonnell. “It’s our hope that this small gesture will provide enjoyment for the kids and their families.”

The collection began when the LBPD was made aware of the need through one of Miller Children’s dedicated volunteers and retired police officer, Pete Amico. Pete volunteers for the Grandparent Program at Miller Children’s – providing comfort to patients throughout the hospital by spending time with them at their bedside.

For children who may be too sick to leave their rooms, the Child Life team and volunteer “grandparents” will spend time with patients playing board games, coloring, and doing arts and crafts at their bedside, but sometimes what pediatric patients want most is to watch a good old fashion movie. Patient rooms have TV’s and most rooms are equipped with a DVD/VCR. Patients, and their families, can check-out movies from the pediatric playroom at any time and enjoy them bedside.

“Community support is vital to the success of the Child Life Program at Miller Children’s, and the Long Beach Police Department continues to be a great partner in our ability to provide health care for the children in our community,” says Chief Executive Officer, Diana Hendel.

While at the hospital, the officers stopped by the hematology/oncology playroom and at several patient bedsides to hand out police badge stickers and visit with the children and their families.

This visit was organized through the Child Life Program, which was developed to help make the hospital experience a more positive one for children of all ages by offering developmental, educational and emotional support because kids need more than medicine to get well.

Lieutenant, Christopher Morgan, and Deputy Chief, Robert Luna, make four-year-old Ha Nguyen an honorary police officer during a visit to the hematology/oncology playroom at Miller Children’s.