Thanks to Redskin Ryan Kerrigan and DC Firefighters, Children Will Benefit from New Physical and Occupational Therapy Gym

On April 18, Ryan Kerrigan of the Washington Redskins, Jason Woods of the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation, and Katie Kundrat, a Children’s National physical therapist, helped unveil a new physical and occupational therapy gym in the surgical care unit. The gym was made possible by generous funding from the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation and Kerrigan’s Blitz for the Better Foundation. It was dedicated in memory of Imogen Roudebush, a patient who lost her battle with leukemia in 2016.

The gym will improve care for patients recovering in the surgical care unit, as many children previously received physical and occupational therapy in their hospital rooms or in hallways. Kundrat said the gym will increase the patients’ enthusiasm about doing physical therapy and give them hope.

The DC Firefighters Burn Foundation has supported Children’s National for more than a decade. Many of their gifts and events have supported patients with burn injuries, some of whom recover in the surgical care unit. "We are thrilled to continue our long-term support of Children's National with this $50,000 donation to help fund the physical and occupational therapy gym," said Woods, who is the president of the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation. "This space will benefit pediatric burn survivors for years to come and we look forward to supporting this endeavor."

Kerrigan has supported Children’s National since 2015 and joined forces with the firefighters when he learned about this specific need. He remarked that as an athlete, he understands the importance of the rehab process. This gym is the fifth “Kerrigan’s Korner” at Children’s National; the other spaces provide electronic games and movies to patients as a source of diversion from their treatment and recovery.

After the gym was unveiled, Kerrigan surprised a few patients in the unit. He talked to Ross, 20, and Ahadu, 16, about the ups and downs of being a Washington sports fan, asked them about their own sports careers, and told them he would be thinking about them as they continued to recover.