Positive Impact for Kids

Decreasing the pain and anxiety children feel in hospital while increasing their self-esteem.

The Problem

A hospital stay can be a frightening, traumatic experience for children, with effects that can linger long after discharge. They may have to endure long waits, harsh lighting, and sterile white spaces. Loud noise can make it difficult for children to get the sleep they need to recuperate. Hospital staff don’t always grasp that children have special needs, and may fail to show empathy or use simple, age-appropriate language when explaining procedures, diagnoses, or treatments, leaving children disoriented, fearful, and confused. Kids may also feel disconnected from their worlds if they don’t have their phones, iPads, or laptops to listen to music or play their video games.

The Solution

Positive Impact for Kids seeks to improve the hospital experience for children and teenagers in the United States by “decreasing the hospitalized children’s pain and anxiety while increasing their self-esteem.” Leanne Joyce, the 18-year-old Founder and President raises funds to provide hospitals with appropriate distraction and tools for education and socialization — think: iPad minis, gaming systems, laptops, and gift cards — to help hospital staff better meet the emotional and physical needs of their pediatric patients. Since founding the nonprofit in 2014, Leanne has raised over $100,000, helped hospitals in every state, and impacted more than 600,000 pediatric patients.