The Gift of Sunshine Sibling Program at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital Established by the Charna Radbell Foundation’s Gift of Sunshine Fund, the Sibling Program at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian will allow for the development of a therapeutic and recreational support program for school age siblings of patients in the hospital.

A key component of the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital’s vision and mission is its commitment to Family Centered care. This philosophy acknowledges that when a child is sick the whole family hurts. The creation of a sibling program allows the Hospital to expand upon its current resources to ensure that the wellbeing of a patient’s entire family, particularly the brothers and sisters of chronically ill children, are addressed in an appropriate and positive atmosphere.

The staff of the sibling program will work within the Hospital’s Child Life Development to design recreational activities for patients’ siblings to help them better understand their surroundings, express their feelings, meet peers in similar circumstances and reduce the stress associated with the hospitalization of a family member. Activities will be held in the Hospitals’ Child Life Centers. These fun, warm spaces are designed to minimize children’s anxieties and encourage strong connections between staff and families. This cost free program will be available to all families, making the well sibling feel as special as the child who is ill.

This new program will transform the Hospital’s ability to meet the needs and challenges of young patients’ families. For that we cannot thank you enough for your commitment to the Charna Radbell Foundation and the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.

For more information about this program, please contact Allison Blum in the Office of Development at 212.342.0984 or email her at albe9020@hotmail.com. If you would like to make a contribution in support of Charna’s Kids Club at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, you may send a donation to the Charna Radbell Foundation or directly to the hospital at the following:

Gifts made by check:
Please make your checks payable to:
New York-Presbyterian Hospital

Please include on the Memo Line:
Charna’s Kids Club

And mail to:
Allison Blum
Office of Development
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
654 West 170th Street
New York NY 10032

If you wish to make a gift via credit card
or wire/securities transfer, please contact:
Allison Blum Office of Development,
New York-Presbyterian Hospital
212.342.0984 / alb9020@nyp.org

Click here to view a sample events calendar at Charna's Kid's Club! (PDF)

"One of the children who has been coming to the group for the past two months' baby sister died, and Alice [Bergmann] did an outstanding job putting together a care package of activities that were therapeutic, expressive and meant just for him. I thought this was a wonderful way to honor the fact that he spent so much time here. One of the siblings … had an incredible opportunity to express himself as well and has had beautiful results."
— Elizabeth Olsen, MS, CCLS
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NY Presbyterian