Bringing Joy to Young Patients, One Story at a Time

As construction is underway at Bethany Children’s Health Center on their new Outpatient Tower, the REES team found a special way to celebrate the project with their patients. A familiar face from project renderings—a caterpillar named Kal—came to life in the storybook Kal’s Big Day.

The book was created in collaboration with Storyland Studios, the project partner responsible for architectural theming within the Outpatient Tower inspired by the Center’s location on Route 66. The story follows the journey of Kaleidoscope, or Kal for short, in his transformation into a butterfly. Along the way, Kal meets a cast of characters to help him, from Davey the Whale to Rocky the Dinosaur.

When the Outpatient Tower is completed, Kal will be brought to life as four-story Landmark of Hope structure climbing the building’s exterior! Much like in the story, Kal’s friends will help children embark on their own journeys of hope, joyfully represented through wayfinding, imagery and icons on the interior of the Outpatient Tower.

To share the excitement, REES team members hosted a special reading day at Bethany Children’s. Reading aloud to inpatients, outpatients and their families, the team shared Kal’s story. Each child received their own copy of the book, leaving them with the reminder, that, “like Kal, you have everything inside you to soar.”

The 210,000-square-foot Outpatient Tower will double the operating space of the facility, allowing Bethany Children’s to continue providing a high level of pediatric rehabilitative and complex care. The four-story center will house an outpatient therapy and rehabilitation center, advanced technology labs for custom wheelchairs, specialty services, community support spaces and more.

See the latest construction updates from Manhattan Construction Company:

We can’t wait for 2027, when Kal and all the storybook characters welcome patients and families to the new Outpatient Tower!