Frankie’s World
Title: Frankie’s World Day Care and Summer Camp: Supporting Children With Complex Medical Needs Within a Marginalized Philadelphia Community
Student Interns:
Anna Gardiner
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions, Creative Arts in Therapy
Grace Holzberg
Drexel University College of Medicine
Kate John
Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Kelley White, MD
Drexel University College of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Conny Lockwood
Frankie’s World
Community Site:
Frankie’s World is a nonprofit medical day care center and early childhood school serving children with complex medical needs throughout the Philadelphia area. The center brings together a dedicated team of skilled nurses, educators, and compassionate aides who collaborate to provide comprehensive medical support alongside engaging, developmentally appropriate early childhood education. Through this integrated approach, Frankie’s World promotes children’s physical, social, and educational growth during their formative years. The center fosters a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where children of all abilities can play, learn, and thrive together.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps interns participated in daily activities in both the summer camp and the year-long classrooms for children aged 1 to 10. Every day, the interns assisted classroom teachers, nurses, and aides in planning fun lessons, creative playtime, arts and crafts, yoga exercises, and dance parties. Interns focused on helping children develop their fine motor skills, strengthen verbal communication, and socialize with others in the classroom to encourage social and emotional development. With the older children, the interns also encouraged clean eating, effective hygiene, and consistent exercise habits to promote healthy growth.
Reflections
The BTG CHIP experience has made me realize how crucial it is to look at the whole picture when it comes to the needs of each child. While all the children in my classroom had a medical need, so many of them are also developmentally delayed and see a variety of therapists to address their treatment goals. The children that I work with have such an amazing and caring team of people who work with them daily, and this sort of camaraderie is something that I want to carry into my work with my future clients. This experience was my first time working with a group of people with medical illnesses and I learned that these children can do just about everything that their peers can do. While some are at higher levels of functioning than others, the children aren’t fragile, and I personally believe their favorite thing to do with me is have me pick them up and spin them around. There are also adaptations to everything for those that aren’t as mobile, and I got some practice with that at this site. As a dance/movement therapy student, adaptability and creativity are key components to the work that I hope to do in the future, and I was able to put both of those skills into use. This experience showed me that a medical diagnosis is just a part of these children’s lives, not their entire lives.
Anna Gardiner
In my experience at Frankie’s World through BTG CHIP, I learned valuable lessons from every individual I encountered. The children taught me the importance of resilience and compassion. Despite facing ongoing medical challenges at such a young age, they continue to approach each day with remarkable strength and positivity. What impressed me just as much was the compassion they showed toward one another. They possessed empathy and perspective well beyond their years, understanding that each one of them had unique medical needs requiring different treatments and accommodations. Rather than becoming upset that someone else received different treatment and attention, they recognized that these supports were necessities, not privileges. Their ability to celebrate one another, rather than compare themselves, was a powerful reminder that fairness is not always about everyone receiving the same thing, but about everyone receiving what they need. The nurses, teachers, and classroom aides also left a lasting impression on me. Through conversations with them, I gained insight into the challenges many Philadelphia families face, including barriers to healthcare and financial strain. Their perspectives reminded me that medicine extends far beyond treating disease. Despite balancing demanding jobs with responsibilities at home, they arrived each day with smiles and ensured every child felt safe, supported, and included. Lastly, I learned an invaluable lesson from the founder of Frankie’s World and our community preceptor, Conny Lockwood. Inspired by her daughter’s wish to have friends despite her medical needs, she created a day care where children with chronic illnesses can receive expert care while learning, playing, and simply being kids. Conny showed me that some of the best advances in patient care begin by listening carefully to patients and families and having the creativity and determination to meet their needs.
Grace Holzberg
My experience at Frankie’s World through BTG CHIP has transformed the way I think about patient care. When I first met many of the children in my classroom, I noticed their visible disabilities, medical devices, and, for some, differences in their speech. Over seven weeks, however, those characteristics became secondary as I came to know each child for their unique personality. I watched them play, laugh, cry, and experience the same joys and frustrations as any other child. They reminded me that a diagnosis is only one part of a person’s story. This experience reinforced a lesson I hope to carry throughout my medical career: patients are more than their conditions. As a future physician, I want to care for the whole person, not just the medical problems they face. I am incredibly grateful to the team at Frankie’s World for the example they set each day. I watched teachers, nurses, and aides thoughtfully adapt activities to meet each child’s needs while seamlessly incorporating medical care into their daily routines whenever possible. Their compassion and flexibility showed me what truly patient-centered care looks like and reminded me of the importance of meeting patients where they are. I leave Frankie’s World deeply grateful for this experience and hope to go back to visit and volunteer there as much as I can.
Kate John
