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I’m really not one to shove my philanthropic ideals down another person’s gullet, but I do want to mention what a great place Phoenix Children’s Hospital is and how appreciative I was seeing so many people out at the Swim & Gym festival this weekend.  The proceeds from the event all went to PCH.  PCH is near and dear to me as my daughter spent 11 days in there from October 31st to November 10th, 2010.  She had actually been in there a few days prior at the beginning of October for what was initially diagnosed as pneumonia.  Exhibiting the same symptoms Halloween morning, we returned but the diagnosis was much different.  Long story short she has gastrointestinal issues which are more than likely a lifelong issue for her.  The point here is not my daughter’s health, as she is doing just fine and is stronger than ever. What I would really like to convey is what a wonderful place Phoenix Children’s Hospital was in some of the darkest times I’ve had to experience.  The staff there was so accommodating, and made every effort to make the children feel like children.  Granted, while there you never forget you are in a hospital, they do their best to normalize the situation.  From bright colors, to a constant stream of children’s movies, to video games for the older kids, they go above and beyond to make life as comfortable as possible for the kids.  The big thing for us was they had wagons for the kids.  Those wagons were life savers for my wife and I.  Our daughter is not one to remain static, even while attached to myriad tubes, so she constantly wanted to be on the go.  Well the tethering to machines made moving a chore, but PCH had wagons she could be pulled around in.  We must have put 100 miles on the wagons pulling our daughter around every night to get her to fall asleep.  The nurses even joked about how she would be on her nightly rounds.  Well, when my daughter’s birthday arrived (she spent her 2nd birthday in the hospital), I went and bought her a wagon of her own so that there would be at least one more free wagon for another child.  We still have it, although it doesn’t get the use it once did.  Having to spend a birthday in the hospital was devastating to us, as you never want to see your child suffering, especially on a day where you are celebrating them.  The nurses threw her a party, and decorated her wall, brought her a cake.  It was so touching to have them trying to help make our little girl’s day better.  So, while I understand we all have causes that are near to us for various reasons, if you ever get the chance to do anything that supports PCH, I know it would mean so much to those kids.  Some of them may never leave, while other will suffer unimaginable pain while there, but the staff does it’s best to make each child feel as special, and normal, as possible and anything to help kids like that is great in my eyes, as I’m sure it is in the eyes of every other parent that has had to spend a night there.