After taking a three year pause due to Covid, Magnolia Pediatrics was back in a big way on Feb. 11 at The Hope Church in Cranston.

"This was our first Valentine’s Day Party since February 2020, so it is a blessing to have all the families come back together to celebrate," said founder of Magnolia Pediatrics, Dr. Linda Del Vecchio-Gilbert.

Del Vecchio-Gilbert is a doctoral prepared pediatric nurse practitioner, board certified in Primary Care Pediatrics, Advanced Hospice and Palliative Nursing and Pain Management.

Magnolia Pediatrics is not your typical children's doctor office. Del Vecchio and her sidekick, Ruby the Schnauzer, hold office hours at their location on Budlong Road in Cranston.

According to their website, Magnolia Pediatrics is an independent pediatric nurse practitioner practice established in 2015 by Del Vecchio-Gilbert. The business is committed to caring compassionately for children with complex, chronic conditions that develop prenatally, during infancy, childhood or adolescence. The care is centered on the child and engages, respects and partners with the family by supporting the emotional, social, spiritual, and physical needs of the child and family.

With over 90 people in attendance at the Valentine's party, Del Vecchio-Gilbert is calling the event a huge success.

As a professor at New England Institute of Technology (NEIT), Del Vecchio-Gilbert says she is lucky to have had a group of 15 amazing nursing students to volunteer their time.

"I am grateful for Hope Church treating us like family and welcoming us into their community," Del Vecchio-Gilbert said, expressing her thankfulness for their help and support.

Photographer Deborah Faith took professional family portraits, as well as hundreds of candids, throughout the day.

Del-Vecchio-Gilbert had booths and games set up for the guests.

"The games were accessible and adapted for all children included giant bowling, giant Jenga, X and O Tic-Tac-Toe, ring toss, beanbag toss, heart hopscotch and the craft tables, also accessible and adapted included Valentine’s tree of hearts, pot of flower hearts, conversation magnets, “bee” mine and more. We also had a candy bar and a kissing booth/tattoos where we gave out Hershey Kisses," she said.

"For our dance party in November, we had over 100 people. Because I never know the number of guests, it is always difficult to know how much food to buy. So I try to keep it simple so I buy “RI” pizza, mini cupcakes, cookies, chips and drinks – enough so if one family comes or 150 people come," she said.

She cannot ask them to RSVP since they never know how their child will feel the day of.

Everything Del Vecchio-Gilbert provides, supplies and buys, the cost is all on her.

"I am not a non-profit, so my husband and I buy everything – the food, activities, etc. Whatever it takes to create a fabulous time for my “Magnolia Blossoms" and their families. Most of my children do not participate in team sports, play an instrument or go to karate. So when my husband Adam and I opened six years ago, it was not only about the medical care I would provide, but it was also about looking at the child as a whole being and ensuring we were optimizing their quality of life," she said.

Del Vecchio-Gilbert is greatly inspired by her Jewish beliefs.

"Based on my Jewish faith, I believe I am to help the person next to me and not wait for someone to come along to help. What if they never come? My husband sees and puts up with all of my crazy ideas and silently watched me prepare over the last four weeks every craft and activity, painting the kissing booth, filling 22 jars of handpicked candy. When the sanctuary at Hope Church is filled with the children and their families, and it is loud as can be, I step back and remind my husband this right here in front of is why we do what we do and why he puts up with so much of me  and supports me unconditionally and selflessly," she said.

To learn more about Magnolia Pediatrics and the care they provide, go to www.magnoliapediatricsri.com.