For a few hours Tuesday afternoon, the Butterfly Atrium at Children's Medical Center Dallas looked more like a carnival midway than a receiving area for sick kids.
There were games, crafts and, of course, corny dogs for nearly 300 young hospital patients unable to attend this year's State Fair of Texas.
Little Big Tex, a human-size version of the State Fair icon, even dropped by.
"It's great. I love this hospital," said Kivon Salters, whose 6-year-old daughter Sydney was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer last month. "They always make sure the kids have fun, even if their lives might not be that fun right now."
For the Salters, the event was a family affair, much like the trip they make each year for the festivities at Fair Park. They were joined Tuesday by Sydney's grandmother and sister.
Sydney sat a few feet from her mother, hooked up to monitoring equipment on a medical stand, happily frosting a sugar cookie.
Her favorite part? "Eating cotton candy," she said.
This is the fifth year Children's has brought the fair to the hospital, one of many events it hosts throughout the year to create a sense of normalcy for its patients.
"We want to be more than just medicine and treatments and people in scrubs," said Ben Retta, senior director of family support services. "Our responsibility is more than just health care. It's wellness. And this impacts their well-being."
Creating a fair atmosphere at the hospital takes extra planning and precautions, especially when it comes to patients' dietary restrictions.
"We don't want to have kids scarfing down cotton candy when they're not supposed to," Retta said.
Some children were too sick to leave their rooms Tuesday but were able to watch the fun through the hospital's closed-circuit television network.
The hospital visit was one of the first appearances outside the fairgrounds for little Big Tex, who was introduced this year. Fair spokeswoman Karissa Condoianis said the fair plans to have him attend events year-round.
"We brought him to help put smiles on the kids' faces," she said, "so they can take part in the fair and not feel left out."
The event was also a chance for staff -- many of whom work long, irregular schedules -- to take a break and enjoy a smoked turkey leg or take a whack with a mallet on the High Striker carnival game.
"This is my fair," said Jinnean Askew, a lead tech in the hospital's epilepsy monitoring unit. "It's convenient. A minute to have a little fun at work. And I love seeing the kids getting out of their rooms."
