Lurie Children’s Week: Kids Advisory Board shapes care, spaces, and policies at pediatric hospital

CHICAGO - Lurie Children's Week is officially underway! Held June 1–9, the annual celebration highlights the commitment and compassion that define the hospital’s mission.

FOX Chicago is taking a closer look at the people, places, and programs helping to shape the future of pediatric care — beginning with the Kids Advisory Board.

What we know:

The children who are treated at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago know firsthand what it means to take on some of life's toughest challenges. They also know more about the patient experience than anyone else.

Twenty years ago, hospital leadership began tapping them for insight, perspectives, and suggestions about how to provide the best possible care — and to this day, the Kids Advisory Board plays an integral role in the patient and visitor experience.  

As you move further into Lurie Children’s, you’ll notice the colors, the shapes, and the playful distractions that help put young patients at ease.

None of it happened by chance. Each piece of this puzzle was designed with help from the children who know it best.

"The focus is really going right to the source, going right to our patients, to ask them about what we're doing well, where things can improve, and even more importantly at the time was, how can we make this the most amazing children's hospital," said Lisa Mulvaney, the coordinator of Lurie Children’s Arts in Medicine and Kids Advisory Board.

Years before the hospital opened in 2012, Mulvaney, a child life specialist, was brought on to launch the Kids Advisory Board.

In 2026, the board continues to thrive. Today, it is made up of 20 teens and young adults between the ages of 13 and 19.

"They call themselves ‘frequent flyers,’ and they have the expertise that we are looking for," Mulvaney said.

Kids Advisory Board members have been through more than most adults ever will. Some have survived heart transplants. Others live with Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, or cancer.

Yet, they keep showing up — not just for themselves, but for the next child who comes through the hospital’s doors.

"Every child lives with a different condition, but there are lots of common experiences that run true with all of our patients," Mulvaney explained.

They meet nearly every month to talk about what needs to change and how to make the hospital seem less intimidating.

"The leadership of the hospital wants to know, ‘What do the kids board think?’" Mulvaney added.

Dig deeper:

For some, it’s the first time they’ve truly felt heard.

"When you're sick as a child, it feels like you have no autonomy," said Ellen Gordan, a nurse at Lurie Children’s. "The Kids Advisory Board was one of the first times I got the opportunity to feel like I was having a say in my care."

Before Gordan became a nurse at Lurie Children’s, she was a patient. At just 13 years old, an autoimmune disease left her in a coma.

"And I woke up out of the coma, and I was like, ‘I'm going to be a nurse, and I'm going to be a nurse here at the children's hospital,’" Gordan recalled.

Now, she works in the ambulatory hematology department — helping children who are walking a path she knows well.

Still, reflecting on her time with the Kids Advisory Board makes her smile.

"I remember one really intense debate that we had. In front of the emergency room, there's a big fish sculpture with a fish tank. And there were so many back and forths about how that should look. A lot of adults had a lot of opinions," Gordan said. "I still go, ‘That's because of me.’"

There is a similar sense of pride that other past board members continue to carry.

Adrian Abaunza is one of them. As a child, he was treated at Lurie Children’s for osteosarcoma.

"It takes a lot of pride to see this," said Abaunza.

One of the board’s earliest projects involved planning the Crown Sky Garden. It remains an iconic space at Lurie Children’s.

"I think that developed me and everybody else who joined this board into a better human being, because we were able to escape from — at least in that moment — the things that were troubling us, and grow," Abaunza said.

Everywhere you look, patients and families will find the mark left by kids who came before them — from the hair salon to the fire truck display, and even the patient rooms themselves.

"One of the most amazing moments was when the group of kids that were on the original board were able to visit the hospital before it opened. They were just overwhelmed and so excited and really felt like their ideas and suggestions were heard," Mulvaney said.

Recently, the board helped change visitor policies by lowering the minimum age from 18 to 16, allowing more teens to be there for their friends during some of their hardest days.

They also organize events like prom — giving teens a chance to be teens again.

What they're saying:

Twenty patients make up the current Kids Advisory Board. Some board members serve for several years, and many continue to be involved long after their official commitment ends.

"I think it's really special to be a part of something like this," said Inaaya Shariq, a high school junior and member of the Kids Advisory Board.

Shariq has defeated osteosarcoma twice. During her second battle with cancer, she underwent a leg amputation.

Now she is preparing to travel to Washington, D.C. with Lurie Children’s to share her story and advocate for other youth.

"I feel like it's also meaningful to come back here, not just for ourselves but for kids upcoming too," Shariq said.

During board meetings, no one needs to explain their hospital stays, surgeries, or scars. Instead, there is a unique bond that feels like family.

"I've been able to connect with a lot of people like me," said Tariq Shaabna, a high school sophomore and member of the Kids Advisory Board. "It's really nice to see that I'm not alone."

Shaabna is a third-year board member.  

"I came to Lurie's because I have limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2C," Shaabna said.

Shaabna serves alongside peers, like Michael Burgess, who was treated for sickle cell disease last year.

"No more hospital stays and I feel awesome," said Burgess, a high school senior and member of the Kids Advisory Board.

Together, the young board members are helping make a trip to the hospital less frightening for the next child who checks in. They are also building something bigger than the medical care they will receive — hope for what comes next.

"I hope you know that there are people in your corner even when you don't know," Burgess said. "You have people to pick you up when you fall, and to keep going, keep pushing you to be a better person."

What's next:

Lurie Children’s Week runs through June 9. To learn more about it, click HERE.