Medical Laundry Provider Cleans Pediatric Patient Gowns Handmade by 11-Year-Old
New Jersey ImageFIRST Location Processes and Packages Handmade Gowns for Pediatric Patients to Ensure Patient Safety and Infection Control
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., December 28, 2021 – ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists (ImageFIRST), the nation’s largest and fastest-growing provider of linen and laundry services for the healthcare industry, was contacted by G’s Giving Gowns, a foundation situated in New Jersey that provides handmade pediatric gowns for children fighting pediatric cancer. Giuliana D., the 11-year-old President and CEO, sought out ImageFIRST to sanitize and package 50 hospital gowns so they could be delivered to pediatric patients safely.
The 11-year-old entrepreneur started her journey after attending a fashion school camp where she discovered her passion for sewing. When a cousin was diagnosed with cancer at only ten months old, Giuliana was inspired to design her own line of pediatric gowns as she recalls the impact that a cheerful, child-themed gown had on her cousin. Upon creation, the gowns are donated to children with cancer across the U.S. and Canada. As G’s Giving Gowns has grown, Giuliana realized that while her gowns were colorful and cheerful in their make, she had no guarantee that they were safe for patient use.
Giuliana and her mother, Vanessa, contacted ImageFIRST to inquire about the possibility of laundering her handmade gowns in their commercial laundry facility. ImageFIRST was eager to support Giuliana’s impactful mission by utilizing their advanced laundry process to properly process and package the handmade gowns.
Upon receipt of the gowns in the Clifton, NJ ImageFIRST location, ImageFIRST associates handled the handmade gowns with “Mother’s Care” and upon completion of the wash and sanitization process, they individually plastic-wrapped each patient gown to ensure they remain clean during transport — a practice applied to all gowns from ImageFIRST.
Jim Kennedy, regional general manager at ImageFIRST, invited Giuliana and Vanessa into the facility for an operations tour and to obtain the professionally cleaned gowns. A donation of $1,000 was also presented to the 11-year-old to support her mission.
“Giuliana is a remarkably impressive person, and we are honored that she trusted ImageFIRST with her special handmade gowns,” says Jim Kennedy. “We are delighted to be partnered with her and look forward to a fruitful relationship — consisting of many future pediatric gowns prepared and cleaned with love and care for their intended patients.”
In a note to Jim and the ImageFIRST team after her visit, Giuliana writes: “Thank you ImageFIRST for applying your ‘family standards’ and ‘mother’s care’ to all 50 of my handmade pediatric hospital gowns. They are now ready for the hands of some very special brave children who are fighting cancer. Thank you for going above and beyond for my cause and welcoming me like family.”
ImageFIRST is preparing for a continued relationship with G’s Giving Gowns to ensure that the future gowns hand-produced by Giuliana are properly laundered and handled for pediatric patients’ safety. Upon receiving the donation of $1,000, Giuliana has her sights set on her next project – partnering with organizations such as Roar Philanthropy, A Moment of Magic Foundation, and pediatric medical facilities to supply her handmade, colorful gowns for patients nationwide.
ABOUT IMAGEFIRST
Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST® is the largest and fastest-growing national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market. Acquired by private equity firm Calera Capital in 2018, ImageFIRST serves medical facilities nationwide providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs, and more while managing their clients’ linen inventory for cost management. With a customer retention rate of over 95%, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction through quality products and remarkable service. Their Comfort Care® line of gowns is proven to increase patients’ favorable perception of a facility by more than 50%. For more information, visit www.imagefirst.com.
ABOUT G’S GIVING GOWNS
G's Giving Gowns, located out of Freehold NJ, provides children fighting pediatric cancer with a customized hospital gown that is sewn with love. Giuliana, the 11-year-old who began the foundation, loves to create special handmade gowns with bright vibrant colors and patterns to bring a smile to the faces of brave little warriors. For more information or to request a gown, visit www.gsgivinggowns.org.
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Media Contact:
Halle Forbes, ImageFIRST
(267) 922-2194
hforbes@imagefirst.com
