Author/Illustrator Peter Reynolds Lends Pen and Talent for Boston's Floating Hospital for Children Fundraiser Artwork Helps Raise Money for Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Watertown, Ma. The Floating Hospital for Children at New England Medical Center in Boston is celebrating another successful year of a staff nurse's ingenuity and dedication to raise funds for more playthings for its most critically ill patients. The young staff nurse Maura Dwyer, R.N. single-handedly spearheaded the successful campaign with an illustrated t-shirt design from Emmy award-winning animator, author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds of FableVision Studios. The second edition t-shirt with a new design has been augmented with a new line of tote-bags, sweatshirts and notecards. The expanded fundraising effort directs 100% of proceeds going to The Floating Hospital's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Dwyer's volunteer efforts include securing the design, coordinating t-shirt and sweatshirt production, storing the inventory in her own home, enlisting her mother to fold each shirt, and selling the shirts "door-to-door" within the hospital. Nurse Dwyer has a special connection with Reynolds, as she has provided childcare for his daughter Sarah since Dwyer was twelve years old. Thirteen years later, her commitment to children is now also demonstrated in her professional work. The new logo was created by Peter Reynolds whose work with children's media won him a regional Emmy as well as numerous national awards. Creative director of FableVision Animation Studios, Peter's mission is to help tell "stories that matter". His whimsical illustration of a group of children in a boat floating above the water captures, as Reynolds describes, "a sense of the hopeful and miraculous work that has been ongoing at the hospital since the late 1800's, when the institution was a hospital ship anchored in the Boston harbor." Today, the medical center serves newborns through young adults, offering comprehensive services including prevention and primary care as well as world-class treatment of rare and unusual conditions. The Floating Hospital is also home to the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center, a Level One regional pediatric trauma center. Although the Floating has a wonderful playroom for its patients, often patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) cannot leave their beds. This fundraising campaign is for toys and games to entertain the young children during their hospitalization. "We want to do everything we can to make a child's stay here as comfortable as possible, and we know it can be the little things that make a difference," Dwyer explains. The funds will help buy a bookshelf, mobiles, children's books, videos, VCRs, decorative play carpets, etc. T-shirts and sweatshirts can still be ordered by sending checks payable to "New England Medical Center " and mail to: New England Medical Center, Boston c/o Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Attn: Maura Dwyer 750 Washington Street Boston, MA 02111 T-shirts are priced at $10, sweatshirts at $20. Sizes include Adult (S to XXL) or Children (Extra Small to Large), with $4 dollars added for each shipment. For more information on FableVision, contact Dawn Haley, Studio Manager, at 1-888-240-3734, or within MA, 617-926-1231.

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