According to the UC Davis Children’s Hospital Mission Statement, 5,000 children go through a range of emergency procedures in the Surgery Center each year.  

The UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento receives more than 1,500 admissions per year on average in their Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The hospital, with its 120 physicians, 454 nurses, and 30 subspecialists, treat transmitted diseases, bacterial, viral, lung, respiratory, parasitic, and skin infections.

It can be nerve-racking for the children to prepare for their surgery operation. However, junior Andrea Davidson intends to help put the youthful patients at ease with her Bubble Drive.

Through the Children’s Hospital Volunteer Club at Vista del Lago, Davidson reached out to UC Davis in search of opportunities to help out in any way she could.

“When I asked the hospital what else they needed, they mentioned bubbles. I was really confused, why bubbles? They said that they use bubbles to calm the children down when they’re going through treatment and getting shots because a lot of them have terminal illnesses,” Davidson stated.

The Bubble Drive can be found at Vista’s library. People are able to drop off bottled bubbles in the blue basket from April 16 to the 30th.

Davidson is also going extra lengths to support the Children’s Hospital by setting up other methods of collecting bubbles. She is collecting money at Bank of America at Empire Ranch and through online resources.

“I am hoping to raise around 200 bubble bottles. I’m also collecting money, I have a GoFundMe page that I’m doing to raise money towards purchasing bubbles,” Davidson said. She has received $200 in donations so far.

The Dollar Tree is the best place to purchase bubbles for Davidson’s drive. The bubbles come in large packs and are sold at a cheap price.

“The children are there for a very long time and they use the bubbles to make their stay less painful and stressful. I wanted to help them be able to do that,” Davidson said.

The UC Davis Children’s Hospital currently implements VECTA multisensory machines that help the patients cope with the pain. The machines were purchased by the UC Davis Children’s Miracle Foundation along with the additional help of donations. These machines include columns that project colors, music, lights, and various speed patterns of bubble flow.

Donations towards the Bubble Drive can be given online at Davidson’s GoFundMe page or at Bank of America at Empire Ranch to contribute to this cause.