Return of Halloween Costume Shop brings smiles and chills

Blessyn Walker, 4, tries on a wig she picked out during the Halloween Costume Shop on Halloween at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Blessyn is helped out by Jessica Breaux, a Senior Manager in Economic Development at Amazon, one of the sponsors of the shop.

Photos by Erin O. Smith

Patients and families enjoyed the return of a longtime hospital event — the annual Halloween Costume Shop that gives away costumes and accessories for patients of all ages (baby to adult) at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

The event returned after a 4-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The giveaways were donated to the hospital by sponsors Amazon, Spirit of Halloween and Jakks Pacific/Disguise, Inc.

Hospital and clinic staff dressed the part to help patients celebrate Halloween, while patients had their pick of costumes from the Halloween Costume Shop held in the performance area of the hospital.

Leah Riley, 3, already wearing her skeleton costume, makes friends with Squid, the facility dog at the hospital.

Jamal Buckley, 9, shows off the “Dark Ninja” costume he picked out for himself during the Halloween costume shop.

There were several racks of costumes set up for patients and their families to choose from, meaning there was a terrifying — or cute— costume for everyone.

These were among the masks at the costume shop, and if a kid shows up wearing one of these you’d better have some candy handy.