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CHC Pediatric ward gets toys, books
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Posted on Dec 27 2018
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. hospital administrator Jesse Tudela poses with pediatric ward staff and the Taga Riders Forever Motorcycle Club donations last Thursday. (Contributed Photo)
Patients of the Commonwealth Health Center Pediatric Ward may expect a free toy along with books in their visit to the ward.
The CHC Pediatric Ward received last week 10 toys and a total of 35 books from a motorcycle club from Salem, Oregon, known as the Taga Riders Forever.
“This year they donated [toys] and also [35 children’s books],” said CHC administrator Jesse Tudela, noting that last year, club founders George and Terry Camacho donated a similar Christmas gift to the ward.
“They have been giving gifts from stateside to Saipan for many years now,” Tudela said. He added that Camacho contacted him a few weeks ago to tell him to expect a package before Christmas.
“He wanted to make sure that we received it and that every pediatric patient would get one,” he said, adding that last year’s donation from the motorcycle club has already been handed out to pediatric patients.
“When you have kids that are sick, you would like to cheer them up—it’s never fun [for them] to be in the hospital so having these gifts are much appreciated,” Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña said in an interview.
“We are always grateful for the donations because the kids love them,” she added. “The whole purpose is wellness and trying them to get them out healthy. We never want to see a child in the hospital but if they do [end up in the hospital], we want to make sure this is a part of their healing,” Muña further noted.
Tudela said the donation is in line with CHCC promoting a healthy and literate community.
As of last week, there were no patients at the pediatric ward.
