jackson's bookshelf... Under construction - literally!

Hospital waiting rooms have a reputation for being some of the most mundane places to spend time. With sterile white walls, uncomfortable chairs, and the faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead, these spaces can make even the most patient person feel like time is crawling. Whether you’re waiting for a checkup, test results, or a loved one in surgery, there’s not much to do but stare at the clock or shuffle through a stack of outdated magazines. And for families of newborns or children, the waiting room experience is often compounded by stress and uncertainty, making the minutes seem like hours.

At Sacred Heart Children's Hospital in Spokane, Washington, the waiting room outside of the NICU is no different. It’s a quiet, somber space where parents often sit, anxiously awaiting news about their infants, while siblings are left to occupy themselves in boredom. With access to the NICU restricted, especially for younger children, many siblings can’t be with their newborn brothers or sisters and have to wait in the sterile environment just outside. It’s a tough situation for the whole family—especially the kids, who don’t quite understand why they can't be with their little sibling or why the waiting seems endless.

That’s where Jackson’s Bookshelf is stepping in to make a difference. 

Coming in early 2025 to Sacred Heart Children's Hospital, Jackson’s Bookshelf will help bring a little joy and distraction to those long waits. This initiative is designed to provide children and parents with a selection of books and reading materials, along with card games and board games giving them something to engage with and focus on as they wait. For siblings, this could be the perfect way to ease the monotony of waiting and help them feel a bit more connected to the process, even when they can’t be in the NICU with their family. The simple act of reading can transform an uncomfortable waiting room into a place where children can lose themselves in stories, if only for a moment, as they navigate the uncertainty of the hospital experience.