By Colleen Rowan

WHEELING—Wheeling Hospital is now home to Austin’s Playroom—a place where little patients and little visitors can get away from illness and treatments and play in a warm, positive environment.

A gift from the Mario Lemieux Foundation in Pittsburgh, the playroom is located at the Center for Pediatrics in the new Tower 5. Wheeling Hospital is the 27^th medical facility to be awarded Austin’s Playroom.

Nathalie Lemieux, wife of Mario Lemieux, joined Bishop Michael J. Bransfield and Wheeling Hospital Chief Executive Officer Ron Violi in a ribbon cutting to officially open the playroom to the hospital May 22. Bishop Bransfield also blessed the playroom and said that it is a great addition to Tower 5.

Colleen Rowan Photo

Bishop Michael J. Bransfield and Nathalie Lemieux cut the ribbon to officially open Austin’s Playroom at Wheeling Hospital’s Center for Pediatrics.

“Tower 5 is so important to the hospital, but also to the church and to me,” Bishop Bransfield said, “and to add this playroom to the Center for Pediatrics, where children can enjoy themselves, is wonderful.”

The bishop thanked Nathalie Lemieux and the Lemieux family for the gift of the playroom, which includes comfortable child-size couches, chairs and tables as well as games, toys, bookshelves, child-friendly artwork and an aquarium.

“Our dream has now come true for the 27th time at Wheeling Hospital,” Nathalie Lemieux said. “We are so happy to play a part in helping families at its Center for Pediatrics. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible, so fulfilling such dreams will continue.”

The Austin’s Playroom Project resulted from the Lemieuxs’ personal experience. Their son, Austin, was born prematurely and required a lengthy hospital stay. While in the hospital, the Lemieux family realized it was difficult to spend quality time with Austin and medical staff while at the same time attending to their two young daughters.

Nathalie Lemieux developed a plan to help parents facing the same issue by raising funds for playrooms. In 2000, she expanded the Mario Lemieux Foundation’s scope of charitable giving to medical facilities when she created the Austin’s Playroom Project. Since then, 27 hospitals have been selected to house the playroom, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.; Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC; and Magee-Womens Hospital-Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Pittsburgh.

“We are honored the Lemieux family selected Wheeling Hospital as their latest site for an Austin’s Playroom,” Violi said. “They are providing a wonderful and much needed service to thousands of families across several states. We cannot thank them enough for this amazing gift.

“Parents often have limited time visiting their hospitalized child and speaking with medical staff because they also have to manage their other children,” Violi continued. “The playroom will help solve that issue. It will provide the siblings a place to occupy their time while mom and dad are in the patient’s room. In addition, when our young patients are feeling better, they too can enjoy the playroom.”

Also present for the blessing and ribbon cutting was Dr. Judy Romano, director of the hospital’s Center for Pediatrics. “This just means so much,” she said, “not just to the children but to the families and to all of our staff.”