During a private and heartfelt reception at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital earlier this afternoon, prominent golfer Camilo Villegas and his wife Maria Ochoa presented staff on the hematology and oncology unit with Mia’s Serenity Space for Staff – a quiet, dim and cozy room where healthcare staff can go to take a moment for themselves, unwind and reflect.
The unveiling of Mia’s Serenity Space for Staff comes days ahead of The Honda Classic, set to take place from March 15 – March 21. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is one of the organizations supported by Honda Classic Cares, through the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.
The new Serenity Space for Staff at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is part of Camilo and Maria’s vision through Mia’s Miracles, a foundation established in honor of their late daughter Mia to provide small blessings with large impacts.
“Mia’s Serenity Space for Staff is an exciting program for Mia’s Miracles Foundation. This project has been an extremely healing and rewarding process for Camilo and I. We saw firsthand how difficult the job can be for these medical heroes. It takes so much, both physically and emotionally, to provide continuous care and support to families during challenging medical crises,” said President and Founder of Mia’s Miracles Foundation, Maria Ochoa. “We wanted to create a space for staff at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital where they can recharge and continue to provide the best care, by replicating the positive and relaxing energy that moved throughout Mia’s room.”
“At Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, we pride ourselves on providing family-centered care to all who walk through our doors, including our very own physicians, nurses, and all other system employees,” said Matthew Love, President and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “We appreciate and admire Camilo, Maria and Mia’s Miracles for this generous gesture and for thinking of our healthcare heroes who have been at the forefront of this global pandemic.”
Mia’s Miracles began its ongoing partnership with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital last year as they helped reunite a patient from Honduras with his mother just in time for Christmas. This year, they hope to identify several patients in need who will benefit from the partnership program, Mia’s Blessings, which provides emergency funds to families at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital so they do not have to choose between their child’s medical care and other expenses. Support helps cover transportation, food and hygiene products, lodging, and as needed, funeral and memorial services.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Where Children Matter Most (2024)
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South
Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately
850 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 307-bed
hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs
routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The
hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern
United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional
honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.