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Curious George's tummy hurts, and his heart does, too

Children's Hospital Boston sent out a memo yesterday informing its staff that Myra Fox has died.

Myra Fox was the inspiration for Nurse Carol in "Curious George Goes to the Hospital", the beloved book that has been a part of our childhoods for generations.

Ms. Fox was known affectionately as the "Play Lady". She was the former Director of Child Life Services and worked in several other departments during her 44 years(!) at Children's. She retired in 2008.

According to the memo and to online interviews, when she first started at the hospital, Children's didn't allow parents to stay overnight in their children's rooms and visiting hours were limited, so nurses and hospital staff were called upon to keep patients as comfortable as possible. Ms. Fox was the first at Children's to organize activities "to help children keep their minds off their illnesses."

Over the years, the Child Life Specialist program has expanded to the point that there are now 30 staff members who offer comfort and support to Children's patients.

What a sad day!

Below, an interview with the Play Lady from before she retired in 2008:

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Comments

to work around sick kids every day. The heartache and tragedy she must have seen in those 44 years. I did not know her, but I feel the world is poorer for her loss. May she rest in peace.

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She was most certainly an angel walking this earth disguised as a human...

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I had the pleasure of meeting Myra one day in maybe 2004/2005 sometime when I had my daughter to Children's for a procedure of some sort (I can't remember now what it was for) and the Child LIfe Specialist that helped my daughter that day asked me if we could go to the office to meet Myra because she knew she would love my daughter's smile. We did and I was walked through the Prouty Garden at Children's, which I didnt even know existed, and spent maybe 30-45 mins in Myra's office while she played with my daughter and gave her a Curious George stuffed animal that she still cherishes to this day.

I have been to Children's many, many times with both my daughter and my younger son and I love that hospital to death but that day meeting Myra is one of my favorite memories.

RIP Myra, you were truly a special person....

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