DISCOVER The Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department
July 2025
Pediatric Facility Dog, Icee, Joins the Team Meet Icee, our newest and furriest team member. Icee, named after the beloved frozen drink, is Mount Sinai's fifth facility dog and will join the team to provide support to patients, families, and staff. Icee, along with handler Kaleigh Bieling, Certified Child Life Specialist, and secondary handler Kyla O'Hayon, Licensed Creative Arts Therapist, will provide Animal Assisted Therapy in the pediatric hematology/oncology settings. Kaleigh and Kyla spent a week at Canine Assistants Camp in Georgia where they bonded with Icee and grew together as a team before arriving at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. This immersive experience helped them build a strong foundation and prepared them to integrate Icee into clinical care in a safe and meaningful way. In his first two weeks, Icee has already jumped into his role with enthusiasm. He’s been busy visiting patients and families in both the outpatient clinic and inpatient unit, quickly becoming a familiar and welcoming presence. Icee’s personality is a perfect match for the pediatric environment. He is incredibly calm, gentle, and loving. He has a natural ability to provide comfort, often leaning in for snuggles or lying alongside a patient's bed. His cuddly nature and warm demeanor bring a sense of peace and connection wherever he goes. Icee stands tall in his new home in the hematology/ oncology clinic.
As Icee continues to build relationships within our hospital community, the team is excited to see the joy and comfort he will continue to bring.
Noel’s Spotlight: Finding Joy and Connection Through KidZone TV KidZone TV (KZTV) is not only a production studio, but also is a play space for our patients and families. Patients can create their own shows, host during live studio sessions, technically direct with our producers, and engage in live studio activities, like the green screen. One of our patients, Noel, has participated in all these services and more. Noel has been a very active KZTV creator and participant. He watches every show from his room, and when able to visit the studio in person, he takes center stage and hosts the programming. Through his experiences at KZTV he can make connections with our producers and clinicians. Through co-hosting with child life specialists and our creative arts therapists, Noel can form stronger bonds with the entire department. Noel created his own bingo show, “Noel’s KidZone TV Bingo,” which highlighted all his work with the studio. Noel also was featured in the “Why I Love...” video series where he talked about his experience hosting at KZTV. He shared that he finds it “really cool to be on TV.” Noel is an excellent example of how a patient can use the studio to try new things and enjoy the Zone during their admission.
Noel's enthusiasm for the studio brings joy to the other patients and to staff. When Noel is here, he truly is a part of the KidZone TV team.
LB 2019
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