Novak Center for Children's Health

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One night, a delivery driver pulled up to the center and muttered under his breath, ‘I swear I saw a kid wave from that window.’ The next day, no one else noticed anything unusual. Later that week, an elderly neighbor mentioned casually, ‘Did you see that little boy waving last night?’ Everyone just smiled and shook their heads, knowing it was probably just their imagination—or maybe the wind playing tricks again. Since then, whenever someone delivers something there, they always say hello to the empty windows.

2. Late one afternoon, a young boy visiting the waiting room noticed something odd—a small door in the wall seemed to open on its own whenever anyone walked past it. No staff member had mentioned anything unusual. Curious, he approached and peered inside, only to see a tiny pair of eyes staring back at him from a pile of toys. A little voice whispered, 'Hi there! I'm Dr. Teddy Bear, and I help kids feel better.' The boy burst out laughing when he realized it was just an ordinary teddy bear that must've been placed there by a regular.

3. One morning, a nurse was preparing charts in the hallway when she heard someone whisper, ‘It’s breathing again.’ She looked around but saw no one. Was it her imagination? She shrugged it off and continued working until she heard it again—this time louder: 'It’s crying now!' Turning sharply, she found an infant monitor on the floor, its batteries finally dead after months of silence. The nurse smiled, shaking her head. ‘Guess I wasn’t imagining things,’ she said with a laugh.

4. One day, during lunchtime, an announcement came over the speakers: ‘Please be advised that our new pediatric mascot, Dr. Fluffy, has been sighted near the cafeteria.’ Nurses and parents looked around curiously, but no plush doctor could be found. Soon after, a delivery driver mentioned seeing 'Dr. Fluffy' in the parking lot. Alarmed staff searched high and low—until they realized it was just their new stuffed bear, accidentally placed outside. The next morning, everyone gathered for breakfast, laughing as Dr. Fluffy greeted them from his usual spot on the reception desk.