For the past four summers, faculty, staff, patients and families have gathered in the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Butterfly Garden to release monarch butterflies. The annual event was designed to provide some respite and stress relief for those in the hospital.
But as the event prepares to celebrate its fifth year, organizers have made it bigger and better than ever — expanding it across the academic medical center to a second location, the University Hospital Courtyard.
“The butterfly release is intended to help patients feel less isolated in the hospital and give them a supportive emotional experience,” said Julie Piazza, project manager for the Office of Patient Experience and the Child & Family Life Department at Mott. “It’s important and beneficial for patients and families of all ages, and that’s why we’re excited to hold the event at both Mott and UH for the first time this year.”