Brody?EUR??,,????'???s Dream: ''At The Playground, I Slide Down The Slide?EUR??,,????'???''

Ashley Davis, Little Tikes Commercial

Brody's Dream Playground incorporates inclusive elements for hospital patients, like the ADA-approved Scarlet the Ladybug spring rider, and a number of ADA-accessible play panels, including a bongo panel and two ''melody maker'' music panels, with a keyboard that teaches kids how to play four different songs.

On September 29, 2009, three months before his 8th birthday, Brody Cole lost a lifelong battle with mitochondrial disease. In the two years before his passing, Brody often said a special prayer that included the following ending: ''And at the playground, I slide down the slide. Amen.''

Brody spent approximately 100 days per year at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite (CHASR), where his wit and personality made an impression on everyone who met him. On the 29th of each month, nurses, staff and doctors still remember Brody by dressing in red, his favorite color. No one knows exactly why Brody stuck to his distinctive prayer, but his many friends and loved ones wanted to honor his memory by fulfilling his dream ?EUR??,,????'??? giving ''his hospital'' an inclusive playground.

The main structure offers enough clearance for special needs equipment to roll beneath the second story. The smaller structure?EUR??,,????'???s slide has short steps and no roof, allowing I.V. lines to clear the rail and pole so kids can slide without getting pulled or tangled.

After seeing Brody's story on the local news, David Howard, owner of Playworx Playsets LLC, called CHASR to see if they could help make what would become Brody's Dream Playground a reality. Representatives from Playworx worked with hospital officials to come up with a design.

The vision for the new playground was to create an area for children like Brody, with serious medical conditions, to be active without restrictions from the play structure. Brody?EUR??,,????'???s Dream Playground was designed with play components capable of accommodating I.V. poles, wheelchairs, and other special needs equipment.

''This playground is very special because it provides something for children of all ages and abilities to enjoy,'' said Owens. ''The entire playground is ADA compliant, with rubber flooring and multiple activities that can be enjoyed regardless of mobility. The playground is not only fun for our patients, but also their siblings and friends.''

Limited elevator space meant the play structures had to be moved in via crane over the four-story building, after a hole was cut in the roof. The main play structure (Little Tikes Commercial) features a central spiral staircase, one large half-tunnel/half-open Morphous slide, and several climbers and panels. Brody?EUR??,,????'???s favorite color was red, so red slides were installed and the color was used throughout the area.

CHASR held a fundraiser to turn Brody's Dream into a reality. By the end, the hospital surpassed the $75,000 goal for the project, receiving over $88,000 in donations, more than covering the costs of the new playground. The new play area replaced old equipment in a first-floor courtyard, and children in rooms on the floors above could see the progress being made during the three-week installation. Installers had to cut open the roof to remove the old equipment and bring in new pieces via crane over the four-story hospital building.

''We were constrained by a relatively small space,'' said Natalie Owens, Senior Interior Designer at Children?EUR??,,????'???s Healthcare of Atlanta. ''[The play area features] a unique two-level structure that gives enough clearance for I.V. poles and wheelchairs to roll underneath the second level. Other activities, such as the weather and music stations, and the ladybug ride, are fun for younger children.''

The playground is designed around a Gelefish?EUR??,,????<