Special prom night for pediatric patients at Kaiser Roseville

In their fancy dresses and formal attire, they danced and sang with gusto into the night ... About 60 current and former pediatric patients at Kaiser Permanente Roseville were given a special night they thought their medical conditions had forced them to miss out on. The hospital hosted its annual pediatric patient prom for teenagers who may have missed their prom or other social events due to medical issues. The event was held Saturday, March 21, at the Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center at 1600 Eureka Drive, and it was quite the festive affair, complete with colorful lights, a dance floor, music, a plethora of food and even a visit from Sacramento Kings players. The theme was "Under the Sea" with the aesthetics of an "enchanted aquatic wonderland" and a "shimmering underwater paradise." About 250 volunteers consisting of doctors, hospital/clinic staff and community volunteers devoted more than four months to planning the event. Donations also flowed in from the community for the prom. Dr. Amy Cruickshank said hosting the prom is their way of not only treating the kids' physical health but their emotional/mental health as well. "They've missed out on so many things in their teenage years so this is an opportunity to help them get that holistic feeling," explained Dr. Cruickshank. "Our pediatric prom is for all our pediatric patients who have received our care in our pediatric unit and are still getting treatments and they may have missed out on their own prom or other important events since they are teenagers." The teenagers seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves as they dressed up for the occasion, loudly sang and danced along to music and enjoyed appetizers, mocktails, games and raffle prizes. "I thought it was really cool," said Flynn Green, who was wearing his crown after he was named Prom King. "The decorations were really cool and I think that everyone did a really good job decorating the room." Adissyn Anderson, 14, had on long, fancy dangly earrings and a festive blue bandanna on her head; she said she was grateful to be able to attend the event. "It was so amazing, like the lights and everything. It was so cool," said Anderson. "I was in the hospital for months and then I came here sometimes twice a week, so being here for no medical stuff and having a good time is so fun and I'm so blessed to be able to." For a special treat, Sacramento Kings players Killian Hayes, Devin Carter and Maxime Raynaud, as well as Slamson, were at the prom for a bit, posing for pictures and socializing with the teens. This was the seventh annual pediatric prom hosted by Kaiser Roseville. Organizers say just seeing the smiles and joy on the faces of all the pediatric patients makes all the hours of hard work worth it.