SPECIAL TO THE MIRROR — Reaghan Baugh, a 7-year-old from Gilmer, has been selected to ride Dec. 5 in the 22nd annual Capital One Bank Adolphus Children’s Parade, which benefits Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.

Each year, the Child Life Department at Children’s selects patients from the hospital for this special holiday honor.

Reaghan, a second grader at Gilmer Elementary, was treated at Children’s for a brain aneurysm and mitral valve surgery.

Even though Reaghan has never been to the parade before, she said she’s looking forward to being an honored guest in one of the country’s elite holiday parades.

Every year, the parade draws crowds of more than 350,000 to downtown Dallas.

Eleven giant inflatables will float down the parade route, and famous friends like Selena Gomez, a recording artist and the star of Disney’s hit show Wizards of Waverly Place, will excite both the young and the young-at-heart. Bands will entertain the downtown crowds with a holiday soundtrack, and dance teams from across the southwest will entertain.

In addition to being an annual holiday tradition for families, the parade is a significant fundraiser for the Child Life department at Children’s Medical Center.

Members of the Child Life Department hold advanced-degree training in the growth and development of children. It’s their job to help patients like Reaghan cope with the hospital experience and understand her diagnosis in age- and developmentally appropriate ways.

A nearly 100-year-old Dallas tradition itself, the Adolphus Hotel provides the lavish backdrop for the Parade, televised live on WFAA-TV and syndicated throughout the holiday season on more than 350 television stations in 159 markets.

The Capital One Bank Adolphus Children’s Parade has become an award-winning holiday tradition for thousands of families throughout North Texas and coast to coast.

For more information about the Parade, including Parade route information, visit www.childrens.com/parade.

About Children’s Medical Center:

The Children’s Medical Center pediatric healthcare system devotes itself solely to caring for the complex medical needs of children.

The hospital is ranked among the nation’s top 10 hospitals by U.S.News & World Report, and its nursing services rank in the top 5 percent of the nation’s hospitals for nursing excellence.

Children’s was the state’s first pediatric hospital with Level 1 Trauma status to care for severe traumatic injuries in children.

Through its academic affiliation with UT Southwestern Medical Center, Children’s medical staff conducts research that is instrumental in developing treatments, therapies, and greater understanding of pediatric diseases and trains more than 200 pediatric residents and fellows annually.

Children’s is private, not-for-profit, and is the eighth largest pediatric healthcare provider in the country with 559 licensed beds, two full-service campuses and 10 outpatient sites.

Many of the more than 50 specialty programs of the Children’s system have received national and international recognition, confirming a stellar reputation for Children’s and UT Southwestern Medical Center as one of the finest pediatric healthcare providers in the U.S.

For more information, visit www.childrens.com.