Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa celebrated the grand opening of “The BIG Outside,” an outdoor play space and healing garden for patients and families, on Feb. 22 at the hospital, located at 1400 S. Dobson Road.
The area is designed to offer activities to help children keep their minds off treatment or to receive rehabilitation therapy outdoors. This includes mini golf, a basketball court, an amphitheater for kids’ programs, and a bereavement garden.
Former patient Austin Overton, 8, of Gilbert said the play space is exciting for kids like himself.
“When I heard the term ‘mini golf,’ I was like, ‘Oh, snap! This is going to be good,” he said.
A group of community members, parents and young patients (ages 3 to 18) across Maricopa County worked together with Banner Children’s staff and the Banner Health Foundation to raise nearly $520,000 for the project.
Young patients can receive rehabilitation therapy in this new outdoor environment, and parents can reflect and recharge in the healing garden. Siblings can have an upbeat place to spend time with their brothers and sisters, who are hospitalized or receiving treatment.
