Patients and Hospital Staff Enjoy Terror-ific Halloween Fun at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health

Inside the spook-tacular celebration at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford

This Halloween, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford conjured a cauldron of joy and thrills for its young patients and the entire Stanford Medicine community. Doctors, nurses, therapists, hospital staff, and volunteers all joined forces to ensure that the annual Trick-or-Treat Trail delivered the “BOOst” needed for a frightfully fun day!

Trick-or-Treat Trail

Transforming the Dawes Garden into a magical Halloweentown, this year’s Trick-or-Treat Trail boasted over 50 whimsical booths, spanning a wide array of enchanting themes from Disney Villains and Sesame Street to Barbie and even this year’s hit, KPop Demon Hunters. With around 300 participating hospital staff, the garden was abuzz with activity and excitement. Young patients, their families, and Stanford Children’s staff in popular costumes like Disney characters from Inside Out and Toy Story, and beloved favorites like superheroes, Ninja Turtles, and princes and princesses, roamed the festival with glowing smiles. Even the beloved Packard Paws dogs of Stanford Children’s joined in, delighting visitors as candy characters.

Both local and out-of-town families appreciated the day’s escapism, but none more so than the patients themselves. Excited to don her cow costume, Annie Vo navigated the Halloween trail with her IV pole, delighting in the festivities alongside her nurse. “I really wanted to wear my cow outfit and love trick-or-treating, but I couldn’t be home to do it today. I’m so grateful the hospital organized this event for patients like me while ensuring our health isn’t compromised.”

Bringing Halloween magic indoors

For those unable to visit the outdoor adventure, Child Life and Creative Arts specialists and care teams delivered over 200 Halloween treat bags, bursting with toys, coloring books, and snacks, directly to patient rooms, including special deliveries to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the intermediate intensive care unit, the pediatric dialysis center, and the Emergency Department.

Inside the NICU, the Under the Sea theme took center stage, where nurses dressed newborns as charming little mermaids, jellyfish, scuba divers, and lobsters. NICU nurse Laura de Freitas shared, “Seeing our tiniest ones experience their first Halloween in such a unique way is heartwarming. Celebrating both small and big milestones with our patients is truly special.”

Extending the spooky spirit beyond the hospital, nearly 30 Stanford Medicine Children’s Health clinics participated in a pumpkin-decorating contest, also themed Under the Sea. Creative teams painted and bedazzled pumpkins, vying for the coveted title of most fa-boo-lous.

For over 30 years, this annual celebration has provided a beloved escape for children and families, offering comfort, a sense of normalcy, and a hauntingly good time, regardless of the challenges faced in the hospital.