Parades held at Children’s & Women’s Hospital to celebrate Mardi Gras
Events such as the recent Mardi Gras parades are intended to bring bright moments for patients, families, and staff at Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
By Casandra Andrews
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What’s better than one parade to celebrate Carnival season? That would be two, of course. The Mystic Order of Masked Miracles paraded through the halls of USA Health Children's & Women's Hospital on Feb. 11, tossing beads, cups and Moon Pies to staff members and other patients and their families gathered for the annual Carnival procession.
Special guests included hospitalized pediatric patients, plus employees dressed in their purple, green, and gold finest.
Members of the Mapp Child and Family Life Program organized the event that was established in 1999 to help bring some of the Carnival spirit to hospitalized patients and their families.
A day later, on Feb. 12, community participants and hospital staff jubilantly carried colorful umbrellas for a second parade on the hospital campus, marching through Geri Moulton Children’s Park as part of a new tradition to bring cheer to patients.
The hospital’s new Children’s Miracle Network ambassador for 2026, JB Bramblett, led the outdoor procession, tossing beads and treats to those gathered in the park and the hospital courtyard. Also initiated by members of the Mapp Child and Family Life Program, the event was intended to create bright moments for patients, families, and staff.
The Mapp Child and Family Life Program supports families and caregivers with hospitalized children by using child life specialists, recreational therapists, and full-time certified teachers who specialize in education, coping, and other support activities to normalize the hospital environment. The goal for these specialists is to minimize stress and help children and families better cope with their healthcare experience.
