Silver Spotlight: Leah S.

This week, GSHH staff were informed about a special event at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital that highlighted a Silver Award project. Silver Award Girl Scout, Leah S., participated in the WHUD Radiothon and was interviewed live on-air from the hospital. Following the interview, Leah formally donated her project, "Leah's Little Library Cart," to the hospital. In addition to hospital staff, GSHH CEO Kari Rockwell and Girl Experience Program Specialist, Caitlin Kant were in attendance to support and congratulate Leah on a job well done!

Thank you to Pelham Co-Service Unit Manager and Gold Award Committee Member Gabrielle Grimaldi Bellettieri for letting us know about this great event and providing the following words about Leah and her project.

"I wanted to highlight a special "full circle" Silver Award Project that is happening in our Council community. Leah S. is a Cadette Girl Scout from Troop 40151 Stoney Point SU 403, her mom Rebecca is her Troop Leader, and Leah is finishing up her Silver Award Project "Leah's Little Library Cart" with her donation to The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit this Thursday, November 20th at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla, NY.

What makes this Silver Award so incredibly special is that Leah was a preemie cared for in our Intensive Care and is now giving back to siblings and families of preemies currently in the unit. Some other meaningful connections within this project are that her project advisor, Laurie Park, is the Music Therapist who treated Leah when she was cared for 12 years ago and I was also the Art Therapist who worked with Leah's parents in weekly Scrapbooking parent support groups while they were navigating Leah's healthcare journey at that time. We are all very happy and proud to see Leah giving back in such a meaningful way.

Each year, local Radio station WHUD 100.7 holds a 3-day Radiothon for the kids cared for at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital and streams live from the Children's Hospital Lobby, where patients and families share their healthcare stories. Leah and her family will be interviewed on the Radiothon this Thursday Nov 20th at 2:45pm where she will be talking about her healthcare journey as well as her Silver Award project and its importance. Directly after Leah's interview, she will be donating "Leah's Little Library Cart" to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Chief of Neonatology, Dr. Edmund LaGamma, in a small, informal ceremony."