Patients at the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital can enjoy a whimsical ride on their IV poles, thanks to Sarah Gruber, a Girl Scout from Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Sarah made and donated 17 colorful lily pads for IV poles to help earn her Girl Scout Gold Award. Each pad was cut and painted by hand and took more than 200 hours to complete in over a year. The attachments brighten hospital rooms and allow patients to sit or ride on their IV poles.
Sarah saw her work in action recently when 7-year-old Camille, a patient at Baptist Children’s Hospital, enthusiastically gave the unicorn lily pad a test run. After Camille returned from her ride, she told her mom she preferred to stay on the lily pad.
“The lily pad IV poles will help move patients out of their rooms and give them independence,” said Certified Child Life Specialist Kate Baker, who works at Baptist Children’s Hospital. “Patients can enjoy a colorful escape to the playroom or activities outside their room, which can help support recovery and earlier discharge times.”
To complete the project, Sarah coordinated with the hospital’s child life specialists, Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation and Alston Construction.
Sarah’s mother, Toni Gruber, works at Alston Construction. The company’s vice president in the Memphis market, Chad Lindsay, suggested the Grubers consider Baptist Children’s Hospital for the project. Inspired by Sarah’s initiative, Chad funded 225 coloring books, crayon packets and bags, which Sarah labeled and organized for easy patient access.
Sarah has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten. As a senior in high school, she set a goal to earn the highest achievement within Girl Scouts, the Gold Award, which only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts earn.
