Support Oklahoma’s pediatric rehabilitation hospital with Christmas gift donations.
As the holiday season approaches, the spirit of giving shines brightly at Bethany Children’s Health Center, where Christmas gift donations through the Joy of Christmas campaign bring smiles to young patients. This Oklahoma pediatric rehabilitation hospital relies on the generosity of the community to provide essential support and festive cheer to children facing health challenges, ensuring every child experiences the magic of the season.
Discover the heart of Bethany Children’s Health Center
At Bethany Children’s Health Center, joy is more than a fleeting feeling — it’s woven into the very fabric of the hospital’s mission. While the hospital is known for providing world-class care to children with complex medical needs, what truly sets it apart is the sense of hope, laughter and happiness that fills the halls.
During the holiday season, this joy is amplified by the generosity of the community. Christmas gift donations, plus supplies and other donated essentials, help ensure the children in Bethany Children’s care enjoy a warm, festive holiday season, even while spending time away from home.
Bethany Children’s Health Center is Oklahoma’s only inpatient pediatric rehabilitation hospital. For more than a century, it has served as a beacon of hope and healing for children with complex medical conditions.
For those who have never visited, it may seem like a sad place because of the challenging health issues being treated. Step inside, though, and you’ll find something entirely different — a vibrant atmosphere of celebration, learning and growth.
The hospital’s mission is to maximize the potential of every child in its care, ensuring each patient experiences the same milestones they would if they were home.
Patients attend classes year-round with top-notch special education teachers, celebrate events like prom and even get surprise visits from celebrities like the Savannah Bananas. Joy and excitement fill every corner, and it’s this same spirit that inspired the hospital’s expansion plans, with a new outpatient tower designed by former Disney Imagineers from Storyland Studios set to open in 2027.
The Joy of Christmas campaign seeking Christmas gift donations
The joy at Bethany Children’s reaches new heights during the holiday season, thanks to the annual Joy of Christmas campaign at this pediatric rehabilitation hospital. From November through December, the hospital invites the community, including individuals, churches, businesses and groups, to help bring the joy of Christmas to patients who are unable to spend the holidays at home. Donations of gifts, supplies and necessities pour in, providing comfort and joy to children who might otherwise miss out on special moments.
It’s easy to participate: donors shop online using the Bethany Children’s Amazon Wish List, with items shipped directly to the hospital. The wish list includes basic necessities like diapers and wipes as well as toys, books and therapeutic items carefully selected by the hospital’s nurses, teachers and therapists. These gifts support the children’s care, learning and growth throughout the year.
In 2023, the Joy of Christmas campaign was a tremendous success, providing more than 500,000 diapers, wipes, lotions and other essentials, plus $70,000 worth of toys and therapeutic items. To put this in perspective, the hospital uses more than 300,000 diapers annually to care for patients. These donations allow the hospital staff to focus on delivering top-tier medical care without worrying about supply needs.
The campaign is not just about the items themselves — it’s about what these gifts represent. The donations enable children to experience the holidays as they would at home, complete with a visit from Santa Claus, who delivers gifts to each patient. This outpouring of love and generosity creates a sense of normalcy and joy, even for children facing the toughest challenges.
Healing through generosity
The impact of this giving extends far beyond the holiday season. Bethany Children’s Health Center had a groundbreaking year in 2024, performing the world’s first robotic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) procedure on a pediatric patient. The result? Immediate improvement in motor function for 8-year-old Karleigh Fry, who suffers from rapid-onset primary dystonia, a disorder that causes involuntary muscle movements.
The incredible care and innovation happening at Bethany Children’s are made possible, in part, thanks to the community’s support.
Zoey and Callie are two young sisters who nearly drowned in a family pool in Edmond earlier this year. After rehabilitating at Bethany Children’s, both girls made remarkable recoveries in just over three weeks, a testament to the hospital staff’s expertise and the joy-filled environment that fosters healing.
Another patient, Levi Reed, suffered a brain injury. During his five-month stay at Bethany Children’s, Levi received more than 1,000 cards from supporters worldwide. He even received a special visit from former University of Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops.
After a remarkable recovery, Levi recently competed in the Oklahoma City Special Olympics, placing first in the 100-meter fast walk and fifth in the Turbo Javelin event. Stories like these demonstrate that with the right care and support, children can overcome even the most daunting of challenges.
Your gift of joy this holiday season
Bethany Children’s Health Center is a truly joyful place. And much of this joy is made possible by the generosity of individuals, groups and organizations who come together during the holiday season to donate items that directly impact patient care.
This holiday season, you can be part of the joy at Bethany Children’s by supporting Oklahoma’s only pediatric rehabilitation hospital. By making a Christmas gift donation to the Joy of Christmas campaign, you’re helping ensure that children experiencing tough times can still celebrate the holidays — and that they have the supplies they need to heal and thrive all year long.
For more information or to donate, visit bethanychildrens.org/joy-of-
Editor’s note: Bethany Children’s Health Center provides pediatric primary care, behavioral health and other specialized medical and therapy services to children in Oklahoma. Learn more about Bethany Children’s, the Joy of Christmas campaign and the planned expansion of outpatient services at bethanychildrens.org.
