Ron MacLean speaks with former patient Nate Ezra in the MacLean-themed waiting room. (rdnewsNOW/Ashley Lavallee-Koenig)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

smilezone

Ron and Cari MacLean fund upgrades at Red Deer children’s rehabilitation centre

Aug 22, 2024 | 1:40 PM

Red Deer Children Rehabilitation Services, located in the 49 Street Community Health Centre, has received a Smilezone facelift, transforming a traditional medical setting into a bright and friendly space for healing.

The new features were revealed and celebrated on Aug. 21 at the facility, with staff, donors, Smilezone representatives, and users of the space in attendance. The upgrades were completed in June.

Smilezone is an Ontario-based charity that transforms cold medical settings like waiting rooms, treatment and exam rooms, and recently ambulances into warmer child-oriented spaces with custom murals, sensory play items, and ‘gameified’ features. A design team works with staff to decide what’s important and what will improve conditions for users. The work is pre-planned and done in one weekend.

“What we were able to do is change the environment that has historically been a relatively blank space. We found that by adding vibrant colours, custom murals,and the gameification of technology, we can write a much more enjoyable experience when children attend for treatment,” said Scott Bachly, Smilezone co-founder and co-chair. “We take pride in knowing that each zone is customized, accessible, and designed for children in each centre.”

A before and after of one of the evaluation rooms at the facility. (Top: Supplied/Red Deer Children’s Rehabilitation Services. Bottom: rdnewsNOW/Ashley Lavallee-Koenig)

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This particular project was sponsored by and dedicated to Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean, former co-host of Coach’s Corner, and his wife Cari MacLean, who both grew up in the Red Deer area.

“We feel like this is home, and we’re just honoured beyond belief to be able to have a part of us stay here and can’t wait to see what’s been created,” Cari said of the facility.

The MacLeans are long-time friends of Smilezone founders Bachly and ex-NHLer Adam Graves, and found donating to their initiative to be an easy choice.

“We heard the story of what they were doing and so we got involved, in my case as a board member and I would MC their golf tournament. Cari would play in their round-the-clock golf tournament and all these different things to raise monies for the Smilezone charity and it’s been a wonderful, probably decade-old love affair,” Ron said.

The waiting room is fully MacLean-themed, with paintings of Ron, him and Cari together, and a custom jersey dedicated to his long-time hockey-involved career adorning the space.

An artist-created jersey with elements pointing to different eras of Ron MacLean’s career, which hangs in the waiting room. (rdnewsNOW/Ashley Lavallee-Koenig)

Tom Hope, manager of the facility, said for those concerned that it’s not the most kid-oriented theme, their worries should be dismissed when they see the rest of the improvements, where the children actually receive treatment. Plus, he said that the hockey theme has drawn in more fathers to attend and participate in their children’s therapy.

The treatment spaces include bright murals that double as therapy tools by depicting, for example, certain skills students will learn or the shapes that different vowels create when spoken.

One former patient of the facility, Nate Ezra, shared his thoughts on upgrades: “I can see that the rooms are fun and it will help kids like me feel more comfortable… it was a hard time.”

Ezra attended the facility for 10 months to address chronic pain in his legs. He said that because of the treatment and support he received, he went from struggling to walk on his own to winning three medals at a provincial swimming competition the weekend before this grand reveal.

Red Deer’s Children Rehabilitation Services serves ages 0-18. The facility offers speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, early intervention, social work, psychology, therapy assistance, administration assistance, and more.

“We service everyone from border to border, from Calgary to Edmonton, and this particular office sees well over 2,000 kids a month. We’re increasing in demand every day because I think lots of families don’t even realize how child rehab can help them,” said Sandi Sebastian, director of the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and programmatic zone lead for women’s and children’s health and children’s rehabilitation – Central Zone.

While the facility already serves a large number of families, Hope anticipates that the Smilezone investment will draw even more families that weren’t aware of it up to this point and who’ve been driving to Calgary or Edmonton for treatment.

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