Disney brought a special princess celebration to pediatric patients at AdventHealth for Children this week, surprising children receiving care with a visit from Disney Princess Rapunzel through a collaboration with Starlight Children’s Foundation.
The visit was part of an ongoing partnership between Disney, AdventHealth for Children and Starlight Children’s Foundation focused on creating meaningful moments for children and families facing serious illness.
A Fairytale Celebration Filled With Courage and Creativity
From the moment patients arrived, the experience felt fit for royalty. Through Starlight Children’s Foundation, children received Disney Princess‑themed hospital gowns inspired by beloved heroines who remind kids that bravery and strength come in many forms.
Rapunzel greeted each young guest with warm hugs, plush toys and plenty of imagination. Together, they decorated lanterns, colored their own masterpieces and shared stories from Rapunzel’s adventures with Pascal, Maximus and Flynn—transforming hospital spaces into a tower filled with creativity, laughter and possibility.
“I just love to see just the joy and hearing her laugh,” said one patient’s dad, Edward. “This really gives her a chance to be a kid. It’s all part of the process of healing.”
For many families, these moments offered a welcome sense of joy and normalcy during extended hospital stays.
A Full‑Circle Moment for One Starlight Family
Among the patients attending the celebration was four-year-old Azalea Marbury, who receives ongoing care at AdventHealth for Children while undergoing treatment for B‑cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Azalea and her family are part of the Starlight Families community, which supports children and their families both in and beyond the hospital setting, making the experience especially meaningful.
Adding to the significance of the day, Azalea’s parents will be running for Team Starlight during the upcoming Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, where Starlight Children’s Foundation is the celebrated charity. The princess celebration served as a full‑circle moment—connecting the joy brought directly to patients with a broader community effort to support children like Azalea.
“Azalea loves dressing up like a princess, so with the Starlight hospital gowns she gets to express herself and feel a little more at home,” said Azalea’s parents. “Events like today just brighten her day. She gets to dress up, have fun and meet Rapunzel. She gets to be a normal kid again.”
Bringing Comfort Through a Powerful Community Partnership
For more than 20 years, Disney and Starlight Children’s Foundation have worked together to bring comfort and imagination into hospitals through Disney‑themed gowns, care packages and special character experiences that help children feel brave, seen and supported.
In partnership with AdventHealth for Children, these efforts help transform hospital days into experiences filled with smiles, creativity and hope.
“At AdventHealth for Children, healing goes beyond medicine. When Rapunzel steps into a room and a child lights up, you can feel the power of joy,” said Kristi Baker, senior executive officer of AdventHealth for Children. “Moments like these bring light, ease fear, and strengthen hope for families. We are grateful to partners like Disney and Starlight Children’s Foundation for helping kids be kids, even during treatment.”
Through meaningful partnerships and moments that matter, Disney continues to support children’s hospitals across Central Florida and beyond, helping ensure that wherever a child’s story unfolds, a little magic is never far away.
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