Texas Children’s Heart Center Celebrates $25,000 grant from the Toy Foundation

Victoria Rodriguez, a Child Life Activity Coordinator, reflects on the importance of play for pediatric patients. 

When Victoria Rodriguez learned about the Toy Foundation’s generous, $25,000 grant to the Texas Children’s Heart Center Child Life Program, she was overjoyed.

“This donation is just amazing,” said Rodriguez, a Child Life Activity Coordinator at Texas Children’s Heart Center. “We are so grateful. We have two separate playrooms for children and this grant will make a huge difference. It’s hard to overstate the importance of play: children can be in pain, even desperate pain, but their smiles will light up a room when you bring them toys. That’s what normalizes the hospital experience for them; it provides them with a space where they can still be kids.” 

The Toy Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) children’s charity and the philanthropic arm of The Toy Association. Its mission is to be the uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry for the benefit of all children in need. Through its Children’s Hospital Play Grants Program, the Toy Foundation has helped improve pediatric care for over 360,000 children since 2021. 

The Toy Foundation donated $25k to Texas Children’s as part of their 2024 Children’s Hospital Play Grants Program. This generous support has provided the Texas Children’s Heart Center playroom with new toys and games, enhancing therapeutic play offerings for young patients during their recovery.

Play is a critical aspect of pediatric care, helping children cope with their hospital stay by promoting fun and well-being. 

“At the end of the day, these families are going through probably one of the scariest, hardest times with their children,” said Rodriguez. “Being able to lighten their burden is truly an honor. We are deeply grateful to the Toy Foundation for this opportunity to provide new ways for our patients to thrive.” 

The Child Life Department at Texas Children’s, working as part of a comprehensive health care team, strives to alleviate stress and anxiety, while promoting positive coping opportunities for patients and families. The Heart Center playroom is an integral part of the care that sets Texas Children’s apart.   

Texas Children’s Heart Center has been named No. 1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for eight consecutive years. For more than 60 years, its multidisciplinary team has combined cutting-edge technology with a compassionate and family-centered approach to care. More than 1,000 surgeries and 1,600 cardiac catheterization procedures are performed annually in the Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower, home of the Heart Center. Texas Children’s Heart Center cardiologists, congenital heart surgeons, cardiovascular anesthesiologists and cardiac intensivists are world-renowned leaders in the field and work together to treat patients with some of the rarest and most complex heart cases from Houston, across Texas, the U.S. and around the world. 

Learn more about the Toy Foundation.