Rolling in the Magic

A Visit to Randall Children’s Hospital

There is always a quiet anticipation before a hospital visit.

The packing, the planning, the careful loading of bins and racks all while trying to think through every detail, knowing we never truly know how many children and families we will serve that day. So, we pack it tight, preparing for as much as we can. Costumes, accessories, sizes, favorites. This time, we also came ready to restock the oncology closet, ensuring the magic can continue even after we leave.

This visit to Randall Children’s Hospital was a special one, with over 80 children and families. From the moment we walked in, we felt it.

There is something incredibly powerful about the kids who spot us from down the hall. The excited waves, the hopeful eyes, the way they light up when they recognize one of our volunteers. A familiar face who is not there to administer medication or treatment, but to bring something entirely different. Something lighter, something imaginative, something full of possibility. What they may not realize is that their smiles, their giggles, and the sparkle in their eyes stay with us long after we leave.

Our first stop is always the day clinic, where children are settling in for long, exhausting chemo treatments. And then something shifts.

We don’t hand them just one option. We bring thoughtfully chosen possibilities, pieces we think they might love, options they can explore. And in that moment, they get to choose. They sit a little taller. They lean in. They begin to imagine. Because now, they are in charge.

One little girl, new to this journey, had no idea how long her treatment day would be. But the moment she spotted an Aurora dress among the options, everything changed. She clutched it close, spinning and giggling, completely wrapped up in the moment. For that moment, she wasn’t a patient. She was simply a little girl, holding onto something that made her feel like herself again.

Each child connects in their own way. A 10-year-old girl arrived just as we were beginning to pack up, but for our volunteers, stopping is never the answer when there is still a child to be seen. They quickly took in the details, her outfit, her energy, the quiet clues that told them exactly who she was. A “Swiftie.”

Within moments, they were pulling together pieces they knew would matter. Cats, pet rocks, and then the perfect find, a red glitter football jersey. The reaction was instant, a squeal that made every extra second of digging worth it.

But this visit was not only about the children in the hospital beds. It was about their families. It was about the siblings who walk these same halls, the ones who wait quietly in the corner, the ones who are brave in ways we often do not see. The ones whose lives have been just as changed, just as interrupted, just as heavy.

When siblings were there, they were welcomed into the moment just the same, given the chance to choose, to be included, to feel part of something special alongside their brother or sister. And when they were not there, their presence was still felt.

Because the question came again and again, soft but certain.

Can I get something for my brother?
Can I pick something for my sister?

Even in the middle of everything they are carrying, they are thinking of someone else. Wanting to bring something back. Wanting to share the moment. Wanting their sibling to feel it too. And there is something incredibly tender in that.

Because what these children are asking for is not just an item. They are asking to bring a little bit of light back to someone they love.

Our answer is always the same. “Absolutely!”

Then there is the 13-year-old who may only want a simple pair of pajama pants. Because sometimes it is not about a costume at all. It is about comfort. It is about feeling a little more like yourself in a place that can feel anything but normal.

This work is about more than costumes. It is about giving children back a sense of control, a moment to breathe, a chance to feel like themselves again, and to experience something meaningful together as a family.

And as we pack up our big red mobile closets and head out, we know something else to be true.

We will be back.

And many of these same families will remember us as we roll in, not just for what we bring, but for how they felt when we were there.

Because every child’s story deserves a little magic!