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Our Team - Meet Jennifer Butterly
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- Child Life at SickKids
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Jennifer Butterly is the Child Life Specialist, Entertainment and Donations, at SickKids. She has been working at the hospital for 13 years, and manages the hundreds of books, toys, games and events tickets that are donated to the hospital.
Jennifer Butterly, Child Life Specialist
In her role, Jennifer works very closely with SickKids Foundation on the distribution of gifts-in-kind and the coordination of special events.
Jennifer went to Brock University and Georgian College where she studied therapeutic recreation and child studies. She initially came to SickKids for a placement and stayed on when a permanent position became available. Jennifer works closely with the Child Life Specialists on the units to determine the needs of the patient population, and which donations or types of entertainment are suitable for SickKids.
"There are many considerations that you have to think of, like infection control, safety, and what will foster normalcy," says Jennifer. "People mean well, but I try to advocate for these children, and think of what will be most beneficial for kids who are often more vulnerable and sensitive than usual."
Most of the donations are made with children in mind, and visitors often include team players from the Toronto Maple Leafs,Toronto Argonauts and Toronto Raptors or entertainers like Hilary Duff and contestants from Canadian Idol.
Jennifer and her colleagues in Child Life are now in their busiest time of year. From Halloween to Christmas, the hospital is flooded with gifts for patients. Jennifer is coordinating the preparation of between 800 and 1,000 gift packages that will be given to inpatients and outpatients during the holiday season.
"It's so difficult at any time to be sick, but even more so when it is a special occasion. We make sure that each child has something to help them feel better and that it is still a time to celebrate."