Brayden’s Christmas Bell Rings
Date Posted: December 30, 2014
Posted In: News, People,
A Christmas bell rang last week for Brayden, a three-year-old boy who earlier this year won the hearts of the BJC Campus Renewal construction team.
On Dec. 22, Brayden “rang the bell” in the treament area at Siteman Cancer Center. Ringing a brass bell in the lobby of the treatment center is a ritual of celebration for all patients completing their treatment at Siteman. A plaque above the bell reads: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Smile – this is of those moments!
In October, ConstructForSTL.org told Brayden’s story. Donna Ware, BJC Campus Renewal director of planning and design, learned about three-year-old Brayden from her hair stylist. She told Phillip Lee of Alberici Constructors, who is the construction director for ACW Alliance, the Campus Renewal construction manager.
During Brayden’s hospitalization for cancer treatment, he spent most of his days sitting in the window watching construction. Donna relayed Brayden’s love of watching construction to Lee. They discussed ideas for surprising Brayden. Lee jumped at the chance to get Brayden a hard hat, safety glasses, and a safety vest.
ACW’s Lee is very enthusiastic about the experience and offered to take the lead to coordinate with SLCH Child Life Services to have members of the construction team visit kids and bring smiles to their faces. Child Life Services is one of a number of services and programs at Children’s that is supported by the St. Louis construction industry through the KIDstruction program.
This past August through KIDstruction, a Children’s Hospital Foundation outreach, tradesworkers and employees from 82 local construction and design companies came together to raise $213,000 to support programs and services at St. Louis Children’s. Participating companies asked their employees to donate $1 or more for every hour they worked during that week. Of those 82 companies, 29 matched their employees’ gifts dollar for dollar or made a corporate donation of $10,000 or more.
“The St. Louis regional construction and design community stepped up again in 2014 by supporting St. Louis Children’s Hospital,” says Patrick Kozeny, president of Kozeny-Wagner, Inc. and chair of KIDstruction Week 2014. “As an industry, we are making a positive impact with several of the key programs that make St. Louis Children’s Hospital a leader in pediatric healthcare.
KIDstruction has been so successful since it was started in 2011 that a children’s hospital in San Diego recently began a partnering effort to start a program at the facility.