Sarah Maynard of Fairfield, is already incorporating the principles of affecting change into her life at the tender age of 12 as evidenced by the project she came up with to help children who come to St. Vincent’s Emergency Room.
Remembering a time when she had to visit a local ER and felt bored and worried, the 7th grade student at Fairfield Woods Middle School, came up with a project for her health class that would help occupy children’s minds while they spent those anxious moments waiting to be seen in the Emergency Department. Sarah collected little toys, coloring, puzzle and other types of books from classmates, friends and family members to create “Activity Bags” to be distributed to children who visit the ER. She even customized the bags for girls and boys and different age groups.
The very creative assignment from health class called for a project based on Steven Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” and based on the reaction of St. Vincent’s staff and the first young patient to receive one of the bags, Sarah has succeeded. Her willingness to share her experience and use her problem-solving skills and initiative to devise a solution that will benefit so many children could be a Covey case study! But Sarah says her motivation also came from a very simple philosophy, “I just want people to be happy.” Thank you, Sarah, for a very creative idea and a willingness to help others!
Featured Photo: Sarah Maynard (R) gets a very positive reaction as she presents one of her activity bags to a thrilled Carmen Gonzalez(6) of Bridgeport.
Photo 2: Sarah Maynard (L), 12, of Fairfield presents children’s activity bags to St. Vincent’s Emergency Department Operations Medical Director Steven Valassis, MD, and to Clinical Nurse Educator Elizabeth Saska, RN at the hospital recently.
