St. John’s University Volunteers and Katie’s Angels Hosts “Service Day” at St. Mary’s Featuring Music and Entertainment

St. John’s Employee Jo-An Morris & Family, and St. Mary’s Patient Family, Arlene Coscia, Volunteers Time and Creates a Special Day for St. Mary’s Kids

On Saturday, September 24th, a group of volunteers from St. John’sUniversity hosted “Service Day” at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children featuring Reid Vorbach, an award winning plate twirler, and Dakota and Ray from the Brooklyn Blockbuster Productions.

St. Mary’s Kids, some of the most seriously ill and injured children in theNew Yorkregion, were amazed at the spectacular performances and were brought to their feet with excitement. Some kids even stepped up to try out the plate twirling, while others danced away to the lively entertainment of the talented vocalists.

The group also donated clothing, crocheted blankets, Wii Gaming systems and assorted gifts baskets filled with goodies for all of St. Mary’s Kids.

The day was made possible through the efforts of St. John’s employees, Jo-Ann Morris and St. Mary’s patient family, Arlene Coscia, and Katie’s Angels, a group of friends and family who united to support little Kaitlyn Coscia.  A Special Thank You to Jo-An & family for their generosity & coordination of the entertainment. 

Arlene’s daughter Kaitlyn was born with a heart defect and suffered from a stroke at a tender 7 months old. Kaitlyn first began receiving Home Care and Early Intervention services at St. Mary’s including physical and speech therapy and special education to help her with her developmental delays. She was then admitted to St. Mary’s Early Education and Preschool Program where she began to do things Arlene thought was impossible, such as opening her eyes, and recognizing and responding to her family. Later on, Kaitlyn was enrolled as an inpatient at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children where she began to receive around-the-clock medical care to help her overcome the challenges associated with her disability.

Today, Kaitlyn has returned home with her family where she continues to excel in meeting her goals under the care of St. Mary’s renowned Home Care Program – The first in NY State and one of the largest providers in the country.

St. John’s University and Katie’s Angels are always supporting St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, raising funds and awareness to help provide vital programs and services for St. Mary’s Kids, and go above and beyond to provide special needs children with experiences and opportunities they may not otherwise have.

As the largest provider of pediatric post-acute care for children with special needs inNew York, St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children provides high quality rehabilitation, specialized medical care, and education to 4,000 children and their families each day. Today, 1 in 5 children has a special healthcare need-– inNew York, that equates to 800,000 children and growing.