How to Send A Valentine to Kids Treated at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals ?

Valentine’s Day can be a rough time to be alone in the hospital, especially for kids. That’s why many Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals offer Valentine’s Day support to provide ways for the local community to remind children undergoing treatment that they aren’t alone.

Many hospitals have pages online where people can write personalized valentines to the kids. These are given out at random to patients in the children’s hospitals. These notes are a small gesture that reminds children that the people around them care about their wellbeing.

The process to send these Valentine’s Day cards is really simple. Simply go to the hospital’s Valentine’s Day page, select a design, and fill out the digital form with a nice note, your first name, and email. Boom, you’ve just sent off a valentine to someone who probably needs it the most! Many facilities offer that simple approach: Phoenix Children’s, Cincinnati Children’s, Children’s Health in Texas,  Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Norton Children’s in Kentucky to name a few.

Some hospitals have a target number of valentines cards that they would like to hit before the holiday so they can be sure every child knows how much they are loved. The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago wants to hit 10,000 valentines for the kids. Boston Children’s Hospital has the same goal of 10,000 valentines for its kids. If Boston Children’s reaches that goal The William P. and Bella Cohen Family Foundation has pledged to send a stuffed animal to every patient at the hospital.

There are also hospitals where sending a valentine will result in a donation being made to the hospital! Texas Children’s Hospital has found a Cupid of its own in the form of Pappas Restaurants, which has pledged to donate $1 USD for every valentine sent to the kids. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has a similar situation, with every card (which comes with a small bag of goodies!) resulting in a $1 USD donation to the hospital all the way up to $25,000 USD.

As for writing the cards themselves, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. Don’t share information that might be used to identify you in the note. Also, keep in mind that children of many different faiths, backgrounds, and histories – all of which should be respected. One of the best pieces of advice that comes straight from the personal experience of hospital staff: Don’t use phrases like “hope you feel better” or “get well soon” as they exclude certain patients in the hospital. Hospitals have unique cut-off dates, we recommend submitting your valentine before February 12, so they have time to print and distribute the valentine to their kids.

There aren’t any downsides here, so get out there and write some funny/heartfelt/awesome valentines to the kids at your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital!

To recap, here’s a list of CMN Hospitals where you can submit a valentine and spread a little love:

• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL
• Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA
• Children’s Health in Dallas, TX
• Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver, CO
• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA
• Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA
• Cincinnati Children’s in Cincinnati, OH
• Norton Children’s in Louisville, KY
• Phoenix Children’s in Phoenix, AZ
• Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX

Don’t forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!