ROANOKE, Va., Nov. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For Carilion
Children's youngest patients this Thanksgiving came a special treat – a newly
republished Margaret Wise Brown book, and a pair of accomplished
leaders (and moms) to read it to them.
Carilion Clinic president and CEO Nancy Howell Agee and Hollins University president Pareena G.
Lawrence spent their Thanksgiving
morning reading to patients at Carilion Children's hospital. In
addition to reading Brown's perennial favorites Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny,
the two leaders introduced the children to Four Fur
Feet.
"We wanted to make this Thanksgiving just a little brighter for our
patients and their families," said Agee. "It's difficult being in a
hospital, and especially during a holiday. Brown's books have been
a comfort to children for many decades and our patients were pretty
excited to hear Four Fur Feet."
Thanks to a partnership between Carilion and the non-profit Turn
The Page, and another partnership between Turn The Page and
Hollins University every child born at
Carilion will receive the book during the next year. Hollins University, which is Brown's alma mater, is
the repository for her hundreds of manuscripts, and made the
Four Fur Feet text available to be published.
"We know that children who are read to early in life become
better readers – better learners – as they grow," said Lawrence.
"I'm thrilled that our partners at Turn The Page have made it their
mission to get books into the hands of the 3,000 babies born at
Carilion every year."
Turn The Page's mission is to increase awareness of the benefits
of reading with children from birth and to provide every child born
in the Roanoke Valley with his or her own home library of books
during the first three years of life.
"Reading aloud is a simple way for parents to help their
children grow," said Lauren
Ellerman, founder and board member of Turn The Page. "The
partnerships with Carilion and Hollins are helping us get great
books like Brown's into the hands of families in the region."
Agee, Lawrence, Ellerman and Turn The Page volunteers finished
out the morning by visiting several units of the hospital,
including mother-baby and southwest Virginia's only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,
handing out the book to interested families.
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SOURCE Carilion Clinic