Chronically ill teenagers have the chance to attend the prom at Nemours hospital

WILMINGTON, Del. – Teenage patients at Nemours Children's Hospital were able to attend the prom right inside the hospital Saturday evening.

Patient Roshawn Dixon said: “For me, I have sickle cell disease. I've been coming here for four or five years.

Dixon is one of the Teen Advisory Council's patients. The council planned the prom for the other teenagers at the hospital. “It feels good because it takes us away from all the other things we have to deal with. So we can all come together and have a good time together. It's really special.”

The hospital cafeteria was transformed in partnership with the Dunkin' Joy in Childhood Foundation. The ball was neon-themed and featured live performers, video games, a silent disco, and airbrush tattoos.

Child life specialist Joelle Arrante said, “When you walk in, it really feels like a high school prom and that's the cool thing.”

Patients worked to plan every aspect of the evening's event, an event that even the staff said they were looking forward to.

Arrante continued, “It has a soft spot in my heart because all of my teenagers have planned this event, so it's really amazing to see it all come together and give them a space to be themselves and not have the “I feel like I'm in a hospital.”

Because many patients have health issues that prevent them from attending school, Saturday's prom is the first for many teens.

“Spending time in the hospital as a child can be a very isolating experience, especially if you spend a lot of time here,” Arrante explained. “You kind of miss out on big milestones, like going to prom or graduation or even just vacationing at home with your friends and family. So the fact that we can organizing this event to have a normal activity and stage for many of the children – it's just great that we can give them this opportunity.