San Diego Zoo Channel Comes to Sanford Children’s Hospital

Sanford Children’s Hospital is allowing patients to take a trip to the San Diego Zoo through a new television channel.

Seven-year-old Maren Mansour was admitted to Sanford Children’s Hospital for an MRI.

All her tests came back negative, but while waiting for the results her hospital stay was made a little more comfortable, thanks to animals on the San Diego Zoo Kid’s Channel.
 
“She wasn’t as scared, because she was able to distract away from what was going on,” said JP Mansour Maren’s dad.
 
Her dad says seeing the animals up close and personal also helped him and his wife have more peace of mind.
 
“We were just as nervous, and maybe a little bit but more than Maren, so it was good to get our minds off it for just that short amount of time,” said Maren’s dad.
 
Maren’s favorite animal is the sloth; she says being able to watch them gave her comfort.
 
“And did it make you feel less scared?”

“Yea,” said Maren.
 
The zoo channel features a variety of fun, educational pieces about animals that children can relate to.
 
“The animal might need a procedure done or talking about an illness that an animal is experiencing, and kids can relate to that themselves and what’s going on in their lives,” said Wendy Iwerks of Sanford Children’s Hospital.
 
Not only do patients get to feel like they’re at the San Diego Zoo, they also get to leave with a souvenir.
 
The Mansour family says the experience has changed their view of hospital stays.
 
“I mean if we have to come back again, God forbid we don’t, but I would feel much more relieved knowing that there’s things in place to help us get through it,” said the Mansour family.
 
San Diego Zoo Kids Channel is currently a part of 16 hospitals across the nation.