Latest news with #Kidfest
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Families reunite to celebrate NICU milestones and healing
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Sunday was a day full of joy and healing as families who once found themselves in the midst of a difficult and uncertain time are now celebrating milestones with their little ones. The 4th annual NICU reunion brought a mixture of families together who had babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. They shared stories, reconnected with the health care team, and celebrated the progress their children have made. Free fun for kids at the 28th annual 'Kidfest' 'Judson was born in March of 2024 at 27 weeks, five days gestation. He weighed two ounces, and he spent 70 days in the NICU at the HCA Florida Gulf Coast hospital. It's very overwhelming. But the nurses and the staff are incredible people. They meet you in a place where you know, you're just… you're lost. You're afraid of what the next day's going to bring. And they have confident eyes,' former NICU resident Jennifer Daniels said. Since Daniel's journey her and her family still remain in strong connections with the staff who cared for them. She says those relationships have turned into lasting friendships. 'I still talk to several of the nurses and several of the therapists today, and I've made some great friendships over those three months that we were in the NICU and there are several that I still talk to, and I feel like I will talk to them for the rest of my life,' Daniels said. 'Walk in My Shoes' stops in Panama City to raise awareness on child sexual abuse Many of these babies are born prematurely or with medical conditions that require specialized treatment and care. Officials say their favorite part of the reunion is reuniting with the babies they helped save. 'One of the families here actually did a fundraising event for us that was a beauty contest. And one of the kids in the beauty contest had been in our NICU like 15 years ago. It was it was amazing. So it's really, really fun. They have continued to support us even after all these years,' Women and Children's Services Vice President Elizabeth Boyle said. HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital is the only Level III NICU provider in Bay County, which means they can take care of a baby that weighs as little as 28 ounces. Also known as a micro preemie. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Walk in My Shoes' stops in Panama City to raise awareness on child sexual abuse
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Lauren's Kids Foundation is walking the entire state of Florida to raise awareness on child abuse and sexual assault. They started in Key West on April 2nd, moving to a different city each day, until they reached Tallahassee on Wednesday. Founder Lauren Book says every step counts in the fight to prevent child sexual abuse. 'Every day, we see the survivors in the community. They come in here and they come in, year out. And so we've watched them grow many times to become thriving survivors. And that's a really special thing,' Lauren's Kids Foundation Founder & CEO Lauren Book said. Participants began at the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center. They picked up their event t-shirts and put on friendship bracelets as they geared up for the walk. Then they followed event cars as they walked in a two-mile loop from the children's advocacy center. For those who wanted to walk more, they could walk an additional 5 miles up Highway 77. Lauren's Kids Foundation offered Uber codes for anyone doing the long walk so they can get back to their vehicles. While they walk, the goal is to show the community that it's okay to tell and it's okay to heal. Free fun for kids at the 28th annual 'Kidfest' 'It is really important for people to see and know that if something like this does happen to you, it is not a life sentence, that with healing and therapy and the support of your community and your family and your friends, this is a small part of who and what you are. It is not going to derail your entire life. Look, as a survivor, I know the pain. I know the difficulty that comes with this type of crime, but it is overcomeable,' Book said. Advocates emphasize the importance of believing and listening when someone tells you they have experienced sexual abuse. 'The average age of a disclosure is 42 years. So someone will wait 40 years if they ever tell. So we are very lucky that we're not only the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center, we are also the Gulf Coast Sexual Assault Program. So we can work with adults who never told, and we see that a lot. They came forward that it happened to them when they were three years old. They still deserve to have a place for hope and healing. And we provide that to them at no cost,' the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center Trauma Treatment Team Program Coordinator, Tasha Jackson, said. Statistics show that 90% of child sexual abuse is preventable through awareness. The Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center works to educate children through community outreach. 'We get into the schools, we teach children about the warning signs of abuse and how to tell, and we give them an opportunity to share anything that they've experienced. So that's the most important thing, is making sure that kids have the words to tell and know how to tell and have the opportunity,' Jackson said. Lauren's Kids Foundation will stop in Marianna for another walk on Monday. Their final walk will be in Tallahassee on Wednesday. To get involved, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Free fun for kids at the 28th annual 'Kidfest'
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Something big was brewing at the Central Panhandle Fairgrounds on Saturday. The Early Education and Care Head Start program is hosting its biggest event of the year to celebrate the little ones. They held their 28th annual 'Kidfest'. Early education and care is an educational program for children that also provides comprehensive services for families. It is a day about the kiddos, with 40 different agencies providing all sorts of fun activities for the children. Program Director Janice Flowers says the event offers free fun for children. ASCENT's Technology Expo aims to inspire careers in STEM fields 'It is truly rewarding to see the smiles on our children's faces, but also the smiles on the parents' faces. Too, to see because it's not a lot of things that are being provided today for children. That's not expensive. You can walk into these gates today for free and have fun,' Early Education & Care Head Start Program Director Janice Flowers said. They were joined by law enforcement agencies, like the Panama City Fire Department, the Bay County Sheriff's Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The Florida Highway Patrol brought a car crash simulator machine to teach children about car safety. PanCare and the health department were also there to provide physicals and dental exams for children. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kidfest in Panama City offers fun, learning, and resources
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – An annual celebration of our area kids is returning for its 28th year to the Central Panhandle Fairgrounds in Panama City this weekend. 'Kidfest' is hosted by Early Education and Care, a non-profit organization that provides quality care and education for local children and their families. At 'Kidfest', there will be a variety of food, drinks, entertainment, and community resources for families to learn about. Although the main goal of the festival is to provide attendees with a fun weekend outing, organizers hope all the kids will learn a few things at the event as well. Panama City's Redfish Film Fest returns with 70+ documentaries 'We believe in school readiness,' said Head Start Director Janice Flowers. 'We provide all of the activities in the classrooms for our children to make sure that their skills are there, to make sure that they are successful when they enter the public school system.' 'Kidfest' is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and last until about 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 26th at the fairgrounds. Admission into the event is completely free for all ages. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
