Manny is a young boy who has a very serious medical condition that has required him to be in the hospital nearly all of his life. Cincinnati Children’s is the only home he knows and the hospital staff is his family. His Josh Cares Child Life Specialist is one of his closest companions. Even though he is so ill, he is healthy enough day to day to actually be picked up by a school bus at the front door of the hospital and go to a regular school for the day (a nurse goes with him!). His Josh Cares Child Life Specialist meets him every morning in his room and walks with him to the bus stop. They talk about what will happen that day at school: what special he has that day, what he will do on recess, who he will sit next to in the cafeteria, his homework assignments and special projects, and more. She waves good-bye once he boards the bus and greets him again when the bus pulls back into the hospital in the afternoon.
After school he likes to play, and one of his favorite hobbies is cooking, so he and his Josh Cares Child Life Specialist whip something tasty up for the staff and volunteers on his floor. He is not always in the mood to do his homework, but Josh Cares helps him to stay focused and complete his assignments, just as his teachers expect him to do. Before Josh Cares leaves at night, they are sure to tell him goodnight until the next morning when they greet a new day together.
