Devin in a Harrisburg Senators Playgown
Sometimes, inspiration arises from life’s toughest experiences.
For instance, Harrisburg native Pete Hayden founded Playgowns to help a boy he knew who was battling Louis-Bar Syndrome, a rare childhood neurological disorder.
“I would spend time with Josh while he was in the hospital with his progressive disease,” Hayden said. “During his final days, his mother wished to see her son wearing something other than a hospital gown.”
Hayden was determined to make her wish come true and put a smile on Josh’s face one last time. He immediately left the hospital, purchased materials and began sewing his first Playgown to resemble a Philadelphia Eagles football jersey.
Since then, Hayden has designed more than 500 custom gowns in a variety of styles, including princesses, superheroes, firefighters and more. On each sleeve, a patch is added in honor of Josh and his story.
Hayden uses his art background to hand-draw each design. Then, he sends the sketch to get sized to fit on a gown. Playgowns come in two sizes and are locally made with dyes-sublimation printing, a special printing process that allows gowns to be washed multiple times in a hospital setting without cracking.
Donations of 50 gowns or more can be specially packaged with a local business’ name or logo on them. Hayden has partnered with the Hershey Bears ice hockey team and the Harrisburg Senators baseball team to donate franchise-logoed gowns to two local children’s hospitals, UPMC and Penn State Children’s Hospital.
Matt Connors, UPMC major gifts officer, and Sandra Schreffler, UPMC child life specialist, are thankful for the relationship that their hospital system has developed with Playgowns.
“Playgowns is committed to finding a way for children to wear something more comfortable and age-appropriate while inside the walls of a hospital,” Connors said.
Schreffler agreed.
“These gowns add a sense of normalcy to the high-stress environment of a hospital,” she said. “They also remind our staff that pediatric patients are just kids who enjoy fun things, even the simplest of things like a soft hospital gown.”
Costume gowns can be purchased as gifts from loved ones and delivered right to the hospital where a child is receiving treatment. A donation of $59.99 pays for a full gown or small donations can add up to a gown being given away to a children’s hospital.
Nikosha Norton is thankful for her daughter’s Playgown, which helped her overcome her fear of hospitals. Norton’s daughter has a sensory disorder, making certain fabrics such as a normal hospital gown bothersome.
“When Lay tried on her princess Playgown, she immediately fell in love and couldn’t stop talking about how soft it was,” Norton said. “The gown has snaps on it, making it easy for nurses to access ports, while also keeping each child comfortable.”
Pete Hayden
Hayden hopes that his Playgowns are able to give children strength on their road to recovery. He wants to bring the same kind of joy he brought to Josh and his family to millions of children who have to spend time in the hospital.
“These kids are my heroes, so they deserve to feel like one when they are battling every day,” Hayden said. “Bringing a smile to a child’s face is the reason this whole thing started.”
For more information on Playgowns or to make a donation, visit www.playgowns.com or follow @Playgowns on Facebook.
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