The Caitlin Clark Foundation and Scholastic have launched a new initiative to support pediatric patients at Blank Children's Hospital. The program, titled Turning Pages, Healing Hearts, places book vending machines directly within hospital wards to provide children with free, brand-new books.
Each unit is stocked with a variety of titles, and patients receive tokens to select their own reading material. Beyond the books themselves, the initiative provides themed arts and crafts materials to help children maintain a sense of normalcy and engagement while receiving medical treatment.
According to a spokesperson from UnityPoint Health, the project offers children a necessary sense of choice and distraction during periods of uncertainty. The goal is to provide moments of relief and comfort for families navigating the challenges of hospital care.
Blank Children's Hospital is one of three locations currently participating in this rollout. The other vending machines are installed at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City and the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis.