Megastar Taylor Swift surprised patients at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood but it’s what she noticed and complimented that’s thrusting a quiet nonprofit into the spotlight.
“This is the coolest room I’ve ever seen. This is amazing,” said Swift in a now viral video during her hospital visit.
It was a magical moment for children at the hospital when the pop icon surprised them in their hospital rooms, but just as thrilled were some behind-the-scenes, unsung heroes.
“Immediately, I just got so excited going, ‘Hey, that’s our room. That’s our room,’” said Rebecca Davis, national director for Dec My Room.
The Harry Potter–themed room Swift complimented was created by Davis’ national nonprofit organization.
“We want to turn a sterile hospital environment into more like their bedroom at home,” said Davis.
Dec My Room has been transforming the blank space into their wildest dreams since 2007, more than 250 rooms a year.
From Barbie to baseball, Super Mario Brothers to martial arts, each room caters to the child’s special interests.
For Davis, it’s a personal mission after losing her own granddaughter 17 years ago.
“Since she had a heart defect, we hung hearts every day, added another heart on a string above her bed for her to look at,” said Davis.
With a budget of $300 and just 30 minutes to decorate, the group is powered by volunteers nationwide often without many people even knowing.
“I always call it the florist mentality because if your husband sends you flowers, you don’t kiss the florist, you kiss your husband and say thank you. And so people see what we do in the hospitals, and they think, ‘Oh, the hospital did this,’” Davis said.
It’s medicine for the soul and a magical escape, not just for the patients.
To volunteer or learn more, visit DecMyRoom.org.
By the way, all of the children get to keep the decorations when they’re discharged from the hospital.
Meanwhile, we’re learning more about some of those patients who are now going viral and and getting support from Swifties.
Many of these patients have GoFundMe pages to raise money for treatment, like 2-year-old Aaliyah, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Her family was actually going to sell her signed Eras Tour book, but fans have rallied under the hashtag #KeepTheBook to get others to donate to Aaliyah’s GoFundMe instead.
Then there’s 10-year-old Zoe. For more than five years, she has been battling neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer.
More than $20,000 has been raised through her GoFundMe.
And one of the other patients going viral is Majesty. She had a heart transplant at just 5 years old and has a love for princess dresses.
Swifties have helped raise more than $13,000 on her GoFundMe to help the young girl battle a rare genetic disorder that affects the way parts of her body develop.
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