Capitals bring holiday cheer to MedStar Georgetown Hospital Child Life Center

WASHINGTON – Ornaments were colored with markers. Gingerbread houses were built, decorated with candy and icing -- and later eaten.

And there was plenty of laughter.

That was the main purpose of the Washington Capitals’ trip to the Child Life Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital on Friday. Forwards Connor McMichael and Brandon Duhaime and defensemen John Carlson and Trevor van Riemsdyk brought plenty of cheer with them during the Capitals’ annual holiday visit with pediatric illnesses and their families.

“Just seeing all the smiles, I think that’s what it’s all about,” McMichael said. “Hopefully, get them to forget about all the things they’re going through and spending Christmas in the hospital. Any little thing we can do is going to be huge for them.”

The Capitals also dressed for the occasion. McMichael and Carlson wore Santa Claus sweaters and hats, van Riemdsyk wore an elf suit and Duhaime donned a reindeer costume. All four started out sitting down with outpatients in the pediatric oncology clinic in the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center before Carlson and van Riemsdyk went upstairs to visit with inpatients in their rooms.

Some of the inpatients will spend Christmas in the hospital and some of the outpatients will continue their treatments through the holidays. So, spending the afternoon having fun with the Capitals players was a welcome diversion.

“Especially around the holidays when Sunny has to come to the clinic frequently for treatments, it’s really nice to have this surprise and this excitement and decorating gingerbread houses and decorating ornaments with the Caps players,” said Katie Thornton, whose 4-year-old daughter Sunny was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on March 18. “It just brings joy to a not so fun time. So, it just makes it a lot better, and you can see the happiness in her face and in her eyes when she gets to do things like this.”

That was the motivation behind the creation of the Hope for Henry Foundation in 2003. A non-profit organization named for Henry Strongin Goldberg, who was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia in 1995, Hope for Henry helps pediatric patients and their families cope with the treatments, bloodwork, being in the hospital and all the other hardships involved.

After working with Hope for Henry as an independent organization the past 22 years, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital announced Monday that it had acquired it to be part of its Child Life program.

“It takes a lot more than medicine to help kids heal,” said CEO Laurie Strongin, who helped found Hope for Henry following the death of her son Henry in 2002. “When kids are happy and when they sort of are allowed to be kids, it is easier for them to do all the difficult things they have to do. So, if they’re going to get an IV, and they’re talking to a player, or they’re getting a blood transfusion, they’re not focused on the medicine, they’re focused on the magic of being a kid.”

The Capitals were happy to do their part. They have a long relationship with the hospital.

Captain Alex Ovechkin and owner Ted Leonsis brought the Stanley Cup to the pediatric outpatient clinic after Washington won it in 2018, and players usually visit during the holiday season.

“It’s always a great day when the Caps come,” said Dr. Michael J. Donnelly, the hospital’s executive director of pediatrics. “It’s always great to have them come, especially around the holidays because it really brightens people up. A lot of times they’re stuck in the hospital for a certain amount of time and just seeing the families and the kids light up to see them visit, it’s absolutely incredible.”

Although admittedly warm inside the reindeer costume, Duhaime had “an absolute blast,” teaming with 11-year-old Liam Ferguson to build a gingerbread house, including a marshmallow-lined ice rink in the backyard.

“Me and Liam did a really, really good job on ours,” Duhaime said. “I thought it was down to the details and pretty good work.”

McMichael and Sunny Thornton ate part of Duhaime’s house later, though. The Capitals know Sunny well. She walked the red carpet with Ovechkin before the Capitals’ season opener against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 8 and she was part of the honorary starting lineup prior to their Hockey Fights Cancer night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 22.

“I looked over every time and Sunny was eating my candy canes off my gingerbread house,” Duhaime said. “So, it was pretty good stuff.”

Duhaime wasn’t completely innocent. The Capitals’ chief prankster, he encouraged Ferguson to smear icing on van Riemsdyk’s face when he returned from visiting with the inpatients.

“Just spend time with the kids, it’s super important to give back and do something like this,” Duhaime said. “As much fun as it is for them, it’s also fun for us to come in here, spend time with them and just enjoy the holiday season.”