Marquette General Foundation

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Gifts at Work -

MGH Pediatric Therapy puts American Legion gift to use to benefit children

Hands held together and a big smile etched on his face, Mike Trickey of Marquette watched with joy as 4-year-old Chandler Vial worked on skill development exercises in the Activity Room at Marquette General Hospital.

Trickey, the 5th Zone Commander of the American Legion post in Marquette, was proudly in attendance to witness how a gift from the American Legion is making measurable differences to a number of children across the Upper Peninsula.

Kirsten Matthews, an occupational therapist at Marquette
General Hospital, works with 4-year-old Chandler Vial on the new Tumble Forms 2 Vestibulator IV gym at MGH. The new gym was made possible by a philanthropic gift by the American Legion. (MGH photo)

Mike Trickey, 5th Zone Commander of the American Legion post in Marquette, proudly accepts a Certificate of Appreciation from pediatric patient Chandler Vial. The American Legion recently made a gift of $2,800 to the Marquette General Foundation, with the money being used to purchase a new gym for pediatric therapy patients.
(MGH photo)

“I’m very happy to see the gift is being put to good use. This is simple, durable and effective,” Trickey said. “I see this allows kids to get stronger and improve their coordination through what is play to them.”

This past spring, the American Legion huddled with the Marquette General Foundation to inquire if the hospital would benefit from a potential gift of $2,800 from money raised through the Tabs for Tots program.

Occupational therapy had an existing need, not available in the capital budget, to purchase a Tumble Forms 2 Vestibulator IV gym to treat children like Chandler. The Foundation outlined the pediatric therapy needs, and the gym clearly fit the Legion’s mission of helping children.

The Vestibulator gym is used as a sensory integration piece to help children with processing disorders. Essentially, this includes pediatric patients who cannot process sensory information, which includes a number of disorders, including autism and autism spectrum disorder.

“Children are one of our top priorities,” Trickey said. “It’s all about helping people. The American Legion is big on community involvement.”

Marquette General occupational therapist Kirsten Matthews said the much-needed equipment enables therapists to offer leading-edge equipment to help treat a number of special needs children from across the Upper Peninsula.

“Words cannot express our appreciation to the American Legion for this tremendous gift,” Matthews said. “This equipment serves a very effective role in benefiting children in our communities who have disabilities and developmental delays. We’re very thankful.”

Pat Bray, President of the Marquette General Foundation, said the Legion gift clearly exhibits the true value of community partnerships.

“We’re appreciative of the American Legion’s support, and in particular, members of the 5th zone,” Bray said. “We’re very pleased to be a recipient of these funds. The gym is a great addition to Pediatric Therapy, providing our skilled therapists special tools that make such a difference for kids.”

The Marquette General Foundation welcomes opportunities to partner with community leaders and organizations. Those interested in exploring potential opportunities are encouraged to call the Foundation at 225-6914 or toll-free at
1-866-906-6914. The Foundation can also be reached via email at mgfoundation@mgh.org.