By Sylvie McCarthy

The Foundation of Community Hospice & Palliative Care held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Dorion Family Pediatric Center on Thursday, June 11.

Community Peds Care, a pediatric program of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, serves more than 300 children in the Jacksonville community who are living with serious and complex illnesses.

These children and their families were receiving different types of therapy treatments in their homes, including music therapy, bereavement counseling, social work and sensory play.

Annie Tuttle, vice president philanthropy and community impact at Community Hospice & Palliative Care, said it was important for the foundation to create a safe space for these families.

“After a lot of research and talking with the families, we determined that their biggest need was a building that they could come to and receive therapy treatment,” she said.

When families enter the Dorion Family Pediatric Center, they will be greeted with a large flex space that will serve a few different purposes. The space has a large flat screen television mounted on the wall for movie nights and a quiet area for reading.

Tuttle said the flex space was designed to have a home-like feel.

The new center has several different rooms including a music therapy room complete with a recording studio. Children can write and record their own songs, and it can also be used for memory-making purposes.

There is also a room specifically for caregivers where they can go for bereavement support.

“This room allows them a safe space to express their feelings while their child is getting therapy,” Tuttle said.

The new center also has a sensory playroom and a fully adaptive playground.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan spoke at the ribbon-cutting about how proud she was to see this new center come to life.

“It fills my heart to see that this community is wrapping its arms around children and their families in this way,” she said.

With this new center, Community Peds Care will be able to help children and families for years to come.

“This new center demonstrates Jacksonville’s commitment to ensuring that families facing some of life’s most difficult challenges have access to compassionate, high-quality care and support,” said Deegan.