Window cleaners dressed as superheroes scaled the side of Palm Beach Children's Hospital in West Palm Beach, cleaning windows in costume while handing out toys, coloring books and high-fives to young patients watching from inside. Among them was 3-year-old Jordan, who was recovering from a major asthma attack and rhinovirus when Spider-Man appeared outside his window, a moment made all the sweeter given that Jordan loves the web-slinging superhero.
The event, reported by WPBF 25, brought together window cleaning crews from Salty's Seaside Home and Property and Skytech Solutions J&C, who scaled the hospital building and cleaned its windows while dressed as superheroes. Chelsea St. Juste said the surprise visit was a big surprise and was appreciated, adding that hospital events like this provide happiness and something for children to talk about during their long stays. Jose Trocel and Cesar Bordabehere-Cabrera, who took part in the costumed cleanup, said participating in the event was an enjoyable experience.
A Regional Hub for Critically Ill Children
Palm Beach Children's Hospital sits within St. Mary's Medical Center on 45th Street and is the only dedicated children's hospital located between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, staffing nearly 200 pediatricians across 36 subspecialties, according to Palm Beach Health Network. The hospital also serves as Palm Beach County's state-designated Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, with pediatric cases making up roughly 40% of the emergency department's annual volume, per Florida Atlantic University, which trains emergency medicine residents at the facility. Other recent local emergencies have included the aftermath of a bicycle crash in Loxahatchee and a teen critically injured in a West Palm Beach e-skate wreck.
Overall, the hospital complex manages approximately 70,000 emergency department visits each year across its 413-bed facility, Florida Atlantic University notes. That volume underscores why hospital staff lean on lighter moments to help young patients cope. Julie Millar said the superhero visit transformed bare hospital walls into a spark of joy and helped create a better hospitalization experience for kids stuck inside for extended stretches.
Part of a Bigger Push for Joy in Recovery
The hospital plans to continue superhero visits twice a year and intends to give more children the chance to see their favorite characters up close. It's one of several recurring efforts by the hospital's Child Life Department, which also organizes an annual trick-or-treating event; Millar said this year's edition carries a Candyland theme. Costumed superhero window-washing surprises have become something of a national trend at children's hospitals, with similar events previously staged at Stanford Children's Health, and documented by Hoodline at both Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore and Brooklyn's caped crusaders at Maimonides Children's Hospital.
Research backs up why hospitals keep investing in these distractions. A 2024 pilot study in the Journal of Child Life examined procedural support for hospitalized pediatric patients. According to a 2020 review available through the National Institutes of Health's PubMed Central, therapeutic play was associated with fewer negative emotions and less postoperative pain among hospitalized children. A 2016 review available through the National Institutes of Health's PubMed Central found that children receiving hospital play interventions exhibited fewer negative emotions and experienced lower levels of anxiety. Families facing longer hospital stays in West Palm Beach also have access to Quantum House, a 30-suite hospitality home on the St. Mary's campus that is the only pediatric lodging facility between Orlando and Miami and marked its 25th anniversary this year.
Corporate Backdrop to the Bedside Cheer
Palm Beach Children's Hospital operates within the Palm Beach Health Network. Tenet announced plans in February for a major West Palm Beach healthcare redevelopment, including a new Good Samaritan Medical Center campus meant to expand regional specialty services, per the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. That expansion comes even as five Tenet-operated hospitals in Palm Beach County, including St. Mary's Medical Center, received low safety marks from the Leapfrog Group in December 2024 after opting not to submit voluntary survey data, WLRN reported.
