CHRISTUS ST. FRANCES CABRINI HOSPITAL ANNOUNCES THE GRAND OPENING OF PANDA CARES® CENTER OF HOPE LOW-STIMULATION GYM DEDICATED TO TREATING SENSORY CHALLENGES IN CHILDREN
On Thursday, April 27, 2023, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital will proudly celebrate the grand opening of the Panda Cares® Center of Hope Low-Stimulation Gym, made possible by Panda Express® associates and guests, whose generosity help change kids’ health and change the future.
The Panda Cares Center of Hope Low-Stimulation Gym is a therapeutic space within the Cabrini Hospital Pediatric Therapy Center where children with sensory challenges can heal mentally, emotionally, physically & spiritually.
The Center of Hope will inspire hope and promote healing by providing a controlled calming space specifically designed to address the needs of children who have sensory processing challenges, brain trauma or developmental delays. Within a low-stimulation calm setting, children with sensory challenges will receive specialized occupational, physical and speech therapy treatments that help them self-regulate their behaviors and ultimately improve their focus.
This therapeutic room is geared toward sensory-avoiders, or kids who are easily over-stimulated and need a break from sensory stimulation. Fiber-optic lighting creates a relaxing space for decompression. This type of lighting is also known as “autism-friendly lighting,” because kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder often have a concurrent sensory processing disorder that manifests in their visual system. Deep pressure input, such as that from weighted products, causes the muscles to send calming signals to the brain, so that kids can reorganize their thoughts and improve their focus. Rhythmic swinging and motion on a sensory swing also creates relaxation and improved focus.
Panda Cares® Centers of Hope across the country are made possible by donations from Panda Express® associates and guests. Funds raised in-store and online at Panda Express benefit each store’s local community. Following a multimillion-dollar commitment to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to fund Panda Cares® Centers of Hope, Panda and CMN Hospitals have debuted Center of Hope locations at several hospitals in the U.S. from California and Texas to Hawaii and Washington D.C.
Panda Express® guests and their associates in Central Louisiana are true miracle makers for pediatric patients at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. You can read more about the opening of this special space in our press release https://www.christuscabrinifoundation.org/childrens-miracle-network .