July 14, 2000

When Joyce Clanon turned 12 years old last October, she didn't want friends to bring presents to her birthday party, she wanted them to bring books. Although Clanon is an avid reader, the books were not for her — they were for patients at the Mass General Hospital for Children. Clanon and her family came to the MGH July 3 to present four boxes of books — ranging in reading ages from 6 to 18 —  to patients on Ellison 17 and 18.

"Our young patients were thrilled to receive the books," says Judy Newell, RN, nurse manager of Ellison 17 and 18. "Many of them are confined to their beds, so any reading material is a godsend. And it was very generous of Joyce and her family to bring these treasures to the hospital."

The Clanons are no strangers to the MGH. Joyce Clanon's parents, Regina and Jeff, established a scholarship fund for NICU nurses in memory of their son, Ben, who died in 1986 at the MGH after only four weeks of life. The $500 award for educational support recognizes a NICU nurse who demonstrates exemplary practice, a commitment to primary nursing and advocacy for neonatal patients and their families. "The nurses in the NICU were so great to us, we just want to give something in return," says Regina Clanon.