Blue Jackets Visit Creates Lasting Memories for Patients and Families

By Sydney Clark-Ballenger

Before lacing up their skates for Hockey Fights Cancer night on November 5, the Columbus Blue Jackets brought the heart of the game right to Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Blue Jackets players spent time with patients and their families throughout the hospital. Wearing their signature lavender Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys, the players brought smiles and encouragement as they made their way through the Magic Forest. The visit offered players the opportunity to spend time in conversation with patients, play games in the Galaxy Lounge and sign autographs throughout the hospital.

"We're really lucky to be able to come here," said Cole Sillinger, Columbus Blue Jackets forward and Columbus native. "Every year I see this event on the schedule I look forward to it, and I know the rest of the team does too."

Each patient the Blue Jackets visited received a goodie bag filled with team merchandise. For children and families spending time in the hospital, moments like these offer a welcome distraction from appointments, treatments and the challenges of being away from home.

Griffin Ezell, who was inpatient at Nationwide Children's during the visit, had the surprise of a lifetime when he found out some of the players from his favorite hockey team were coming to see him. With much excitement, Griffin said, "When I woke up this morning, I was thinking about the Jackets and then magically, they were here." Griffin's mom, Katie Ezell, said, "His mood is so much better than before they came to see him. It's amazing."

What made Griffin's visit so special was what hockey meant to him long before this visit. "I got into hockey because when I was in the hospital six years ago, there was really nothing to do," he said. An NHL video game became a welcome distraction during his stay, but it also introduced him to a sport that would soon become a passion. He went on to tell his doctor, Dr. Ammar Shaikhouni, MD, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Nationwide Children's Hospital, that once he was cleared, he wanted to play hockey. Griffin now plays as a goalie for CCYHA, a youth hockey organization right here in Columbus.

Although only a brief visit, the significance for our patients extends beyond meeting a professional athlete. These small moments of joy, encouragement and connection can become such a big part of a patient's journey.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have visited Nationwide Children's Hospital since 2001. "For two decades, the partnership between the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation and Nationwide Children's Hospital has fostered the idea of a community of collaboration. Before the first skate hit the ice at Nationwide Arena, the Columbus Blue Jackets leadership team was interested in building a strong partnership with the hospital. Children and families navigating some of life's most difficult moments have benefited from this partnership. The relationship has been rooted in a shared commitment to improving the experience of patients and families beyond their medical care," said Nichole Ferris, Vice President of Engagement at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation.

Through partnerships like the one shared with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nationwide Children's continues to create opportunities to support patients and their families beyond medical care.

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