Nine-Year Old Upper Saddle River Girl Makes Her Birthday Wish Come True For Patients At Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital

Nine-year-old Briana Padilla of Upper Saddle River did what most other nine-year-old girls do on their birthdays – she had a party. However, instead of unwrapping all the presents from her friends and deciding which toy trunk in the house to put them in, Briana asked her party guests to bring presents that would make sick children happy. Her plan was to donate her gifts to patients at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC).

“I always get so many presents from my family and friends for my birthday each year, but I know not everyone is so lucky,” said Briana. “So I wanted to give other kids my gifts this year. I wanted to give the gifts to kids in the hospital because they need them more than I do.”
Briana arrived at the Tomorrows Children’s Fund (TCF) in the WFAN – DON IMUS Pediatric Center for Tomorrows Children at HUMC with two carts full of toys and games for the patients. She met up with Susan Guarino, project coordinator for TCF, to take a tour of the children’s hospital.
“It makes me feel very happy to do this,” Briana beamed. “I just hope it makes the other kids happy, too.”

About Hackensack University Medical Center
HUMC is a full-voting member in the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI), the non-profit association that speaks on behalf of children's health needs and their caregivers. NACHRI is the foremost organization in the nation for children's hospitals. New York magazine ranked HUMC as a Best Hospital for Pediatrics, as well as being one of the Top 10 Overall Best Hospitals. In fact, HUMC is the only New Jersey hospital to receive a ranking on the Overall Best Hospitals list.

The Tomorrows Children’s Institute (TCI) is an outstanding pediatric cancer and blood disorders program that combines all the elements of world-class medicine, cutting-edge research, an expert and comforting staff, and compassionate care for children and adolescents. TCI is the largest and most comprehensive center in the state for children with cancer and blood disorders.

TCF is a fundraising organization formed by the parents of children with cancer with first-hand knowledge of how arduous and painful it is for youngsters to endure the rigors of cancer treatment.

To learn more about the Tomorrows Children’s Institute for Cancer and Blood Disorders and the Tomorrows Children’s Fund at Hackensack University Medical Center, please visit www.humc.com.

HealthGrades® named HUMC as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2007,
2008 and 2009. This designation recognizes hospitals that have demonstrated superior clinical quality over a seven-year time period. These hospitals have achieved better survival rates and lower complication rates across dozens of medical procedures and diagnoses, from cardiac care to orthopedic surgery, consistently ranking among the top five percent in the nation for overall clinical outcomes. HUMC is the only healthcare facility in New Jersey, New York, and New England to be named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals, for three years in a row. For more information, please visit the medical center’s website at www.humc.com.

Photo Caption:
Briana Padilla (right), 9, of Upper Saddle River, and Susan Guarino, project coordinator of the Tomorrows Children’s Fund at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, display some of the toys Briana received as gifts at her birthday party which she donated to patients.