IN APRIL 2014, AYANA BANKS, then 6, was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma, a cancer that forms in the nerves. Over four years, she spent weeks at a time in the hospital as she received chemotherapy, surgery and several immunotherapies, including an experimental vaccine.
After each treatment, she returned to a hospital room decked out in Hello Kitty pillows, princess blankets, wall posters and a pink comforter. “It really felt like my own room at home,” she says, noting the decorative accents brought her joy on even the most trying days of therapy. She completed treatment in January 2018.
As a teenager, Banks learned her mother had planned the personalized touches that brightened her time in the hospital. In 2023, Banks, then a high school sophomore, had to develop an idea for a business or nonprofit for a project, so she decided to help other children with cancer feel at home in their hospital rooms.
If you are selecting hospital room decor for a child undergoing cancer treatment, Sweet Dream Project founder Ayana Banks suggests including items personalized with the child’s name. Custom removable wall decals or a monogrammed blanket can help to make the gesture more meaningful, she says.
Banks launched the Sweet Dream Project, which provides room decorations to children 4 to 18 staying in hospitals for cancer treatment. Hospital staff refer families to the organization’s website, where they complete a form detailing the child’s favorite colors and interests. Using donations, Banks purchases two bedding sets, ambient lighting and decor for each recipient. For example, she purchased Minecraft bedsheets, a gaming console and video game posters for a child who loved video games. Banks packs the items in a duffel bag, which is personalized with the young person’s name, and delivers it to the hospital, where an employee decorates the child’s room. Since 2024, the Sweet Dream Project has provided bags for 15 children at two Philadelphia-area hospitals, and Banks plans to expand the program to other treatment centers.
The Sweet Dream Project provided Minecraft bedsheets, a video game-themed blanket and other decorations for a child who loved video games. Photo courtesy of the Sweet Dream Project
Packing presents for children with cancer in a duffel bag can make it easy to transport the items.
Decorating a hospital room with personal touches can create a peaceful environment for children with cancer. However, they may move between the hospital, home and temporary lodging. To ensure items can be easily transported from place to place, Sweet Dream Project founder Ayana Banks recommends packing any decor or presents in a duffel bag or carrying case, rather than gift bags, which can easily rip.
Banks, now 18 and a first-year student at Hampton University in Virginia, says children receiving cancer treatment can feel like just a number in the hospital, so she hopes the gift packages help them maintain their individuality. “I just hope they feel seen,” she says. “I want them to feel valued.”
