Elizabeth Arturi of Old Tappan just can’t stop hugging her newest best buddy, Polka-Dot. She even prefers the fuzzy, snuggly teddy bear to the giant bear she was thrilled to receive from Santa at Christmas.

Polka-Dot came by way of the generosity of the Starlight Children’s Foundation of NY-NJ-CT in January, when the third-grader was hospitalized for pneumonia at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

"It could have been an awful experience for all of us, but it was far from that. Elizabeth, a cautious, thoughtful child, hadn’t even visited a hospital before, never mind been a patient in one, but she did great," says her mother, Linda Arturi, who stayed with her daughter for the entire time. "I really think it was the bear from Starlight that made the difference." Elizabeth also enjoyed other welcomed diversions provided by the foundation, especially arts and crafts, watching DVDs, and Wii games. The Starlight Fun Center, a mobile entertainment unit featuring the Nintendo Wii that helped her pass the time, is one of the newest additions to the pediatric unit donated by Starlight.

For almost 20 years, Starlight and Englewood Hospital have partnered to make the lives of hospitalized children and their families brighter. The foundation has provided a host of materials, equipment and assistance, including the interactive Starlight Fun Center, art supplies, PC Pals computer equipment, DVD players, toys and entertainment for holiday parties. Additionally, Starlight has provided funding for one of the medical center’s child life specialists, who strive to limit the potential negative effects of a hospitalization on infants, children, adolescents and families.