Payton Raichle is now an 18 year old girl who has suffered from epilepsy since the age of one.  Her life was tough at times, with countless 911 calls, emergency room visits, long stays in hospital ICU units, and several extensive surgeries.  Following four brain surgeries and months spent in intensive care, Payton finally seems to be on her way to a seizure-free life.

But Payton’s story is just one of many children coping with life-threatening illnesses.  Every day, these children must deal with the heartbreak of living in pediatric intensive care units.  During Payton’s last stay at NYU, she spent three months in and out of the hospital and its ICU.  Over those three months, we met children suffering from epilepsy, heart disease, cancer, and other serious illnesses.  Some could not leave their beds for weeks or even months at a time.  For most of them, the small things in life that we so often take for granted became an instant source of happiness.  It was with this thought in mind that the vision behind the Play for Pay Foundation was born.

Play for Pay aims to make these children’s hospital stays as fun as possible by providing them with these small pieces of normalcy and helping to keep their minds off of their medical issues.

Play for Pay intends to raise money to help children and families cope with the emotional, physical, and financial tolls taken when enduring such a serious situation.  Through the foundation, we will visit these intensive care units to spread joy and happiness through simple gifts such as iPads, iPods, video games, educational games, and more.  These items can help make hospital stays more bearable for the children, and iPads can help students, especially those with disabilities and medical conditions, continue to learn during their stays.

Please join the Play for Pay Foundation in putting a smile on the faces of those children who need it most.