WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s launches Project Balloon
WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s has launched a program to lift the spirits of its young patients.
Project Balloon allows hospital providers and Child Life staff to request a balloon and a get-well card sent to a child’s bedside from the gift shop – a request that will be immediately fulfilled.
The program is a collaboration among the Morgantown, W.Va. hospital, Waynesburg-based Growing Up Greene child advocacy nonprofit, First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County, and its West Virginia subsidiary First Greene Mortgage.
A personal experience inspired Aaron Houser, executive director of Growing Up Greene, to create the program.
His middle son had a congenital heart defect, and their family knew that around his 3rd birthday he would require open heart surgery.
During his son’s five-day recovery, “His room was filled with eight or 10 balloons that had been sent by family, co-workers, our friends. Every time a new balloon came in, his eyes lit up like magic,” Houser said.
But as he walked the halls during his son’s stay, he noticed other children whose families couldn’t visit as often as they’d like.
“Kids should not feel alone, especially at a time when they have to spend time as an inpatient,” Houser said. He wanted all of the children to feel the same magic his son did.
Because many Greene County kids come to Children’s for treatment – in 2024, kids from Greene County accounted for the third-highest number of outpatient visits and the sixth-highest number of inpatient visits – he developed the idea to bring them cheer. Project Balloon was the result.
“The gift shop here and the Child Life team have been so amazing to just immediately jump on board with this,” he said.
The Child Life program supports children as they cope with stress from hospitalizations and illnesses.
Houser said Project Balloon raised $10,000 from private donors and Greene County churches to launch the program. First Federal will donate another $5,000 later this year, and has pledged regular donations to sustain the program.
Houser and Chuck Trump, president and CEO of First Federal, said future donations will be based on need, determined from the first year’s performance.
Trump said Children’s holds a special meaning for his family. His oldest daughter, Elizabeth, is doing her pediatric residency there, and both of his grandsons were born there.
“As soon as Aaron talked about this seed they’d planted, we knew we had to help it grow,” Trump said. “We just pray that there are families and young boys and girls that benefit from the love and the care and the thoughtfulness.”
Trump learned about the project when he asked Houser how his son was doing after the surgery. “As soon as we heard about what was on his heart, that placed it on ours. … This is just how good things happen: People support and partner with one another.”
During the ceremony, Jen Ball, children’s director of performance excellence, said, “This is game-changing for patients who are having a bad day, going through a procedure. We really appreciate the opportunity to bring a little cheer to their lives and their beds.”
And Erin Blake, Children’s director of community and donor relations, said, “We’re so glad that Aaron came up with this project. We’re just really excited to have this new partnership with you and see how this can grow.”