Many area high schools require students to do a community service project in order to graduate.
I suppose most do the chore, complete the requirement, then merrily head off to college, the military or take up residence in their parent’s basements.
How nice to find a college sophomore who not only finished her high school task, but kept up the work.
Kjersti Hall, 19, a sophomore in the honors program at the University of Washington, is still providing Kid Kits to pediatric patients at Providence Everett Medical Center at the Pavilion.
Her first name is pronounced chair-stee. I recognized the unusual name from many mentions in The Herald pages during her high school days. Hall was chairwoman of Assisteens, part of the National Assistance League, was editor of the Everett High School Kodak newspaper, was The Herald’s Most Valuable Staffer for her work on the Kodak and volunteered for Special Olympics, Straight is Great and Camp Patterson.
Bear with me. She was also on the honor society, was a member of the Hi-Q academic team, was a Big Sister/Little Sister, was co-captain of the tennis team and received the Coach’s Award in tennis and basketball, was a department scholar in Spanish, an Exchange Club Student of the Quarter, served on the homecoming court and was valedictorian.
That was only a smattering of her accomplishments. Is there any surprise she was named a Washington Scholar, a prestigious award that paid her college tuition? I bet in high school, her parents, Andy and Kaye Hall, kept hopping to keep track of their busy teen.
In her senior year, Hall began her Kid Kits project.
"After following around a doctor in pediatrics, I really wanted to do something to help make the children’s stays more pleasant and to get their minds off of the reason they were there," Hall said. "The program has been a great success."
She had the original support of Botesch, Nash &Hall Architects, Creative Printing Service Inc., EverTrust Foundation, Providence General Children’s Association and Providence General Foundation.
In the gift sacks, pediatric patients found little games, books, crayons, stamp pads, stuffed animals and other neat stuff. Most of the merchandise came from a catalog I loved called Oriental Trading.
It was filled with knickknacks that delighted silly adults, such as me, and children. Patients younger than 5 got an age-appropriate package. Older youngsters might get a bead keychain kit or puzzles. Hall attended to details, such as adding colorful tissue paper and maybe a plastic frog to connect the handles.
I wanted a Kid Kit.
Hall said having a fun bag of toys and tricks can be a positive thing for the children. They counteract the more painful parts of their stays in the hospital, she added. Staff nurse Marcia Martin said the Kid Kits are appreciated at the pavilion.
"We use the kits for inpatients and outpatients," Martin said. "The kits are helpful."
Martin said some procedures can be painful for youngsters, such as placing a catheter for a kidney procedure.
"It’s not a very comfortable thing to have done," Martin said. "Being able to give them something is very helpful."
Of course Hall needs money to keep the project going. If you would like to donate, send to Kid Kits at Providence General Foundation, P.O. Box 1067, Everett, WA 98206. If you have questions, contact Hall via e-mail at kjersti@u.washington.edu.
"It’s been really nice to have a project that carried on and really meant something to me," Hall said. "Every few weeks I come home and make more kits."
Hall was never in a hospital as a patient when she was a kid. She was in an emergency room once when her folks thought she swallowed a dime. Now she volunteers at an emergency room.
She aims to practice medicine.
We won’t be surprised if some day Dr. Kjersti Hall had a special touch with younger patients.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or
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