by MAURA YATES
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Four-year-old Joseph Diaz walked up to the red and yellow truck built into an entire wall of the Firehouse Playroom, saw the television screen and the computer tucked inside, and smiled.
Inside the new kids' lounge in the Pediatric Unit of Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze, it didn't matter that the boy had an IV tube sticking out of his bandaged arm.
It was time to play.
A gift from the Joseph Maffeo Foundation, the Ladder Co. 101 fire truck and renovated playroom is a tribute to the firefighter, who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
The playroom is the first of several improvements the foundation has planned to brighten up the pediatric wing. A new parent lounge will be created, and the nurses' station and patient rooms also will be overhauled. The wing eventually will have a "Heroes" theme, celebrating those who have made the world a better place.
"We wanted to make a difference in the lives of children on Staten Island, and remember the heroes lost that day," said Maffeo's brother-in-law, Keith Manfredi.
Designed by Judson Beaumont, every inch of the wooden fire truck is covered with cabinets to hold toys or storage. Poking out of the driver's seat is Trixie the Dalmatian, named after Maffeo's dog. The room includes a comfortable red couch and child-sized tables and chairs.
"The kids look so forward to going to the room, they forget why they're here," said Joseph's mother, Kim Diaz of Oakwood. Her son has been undergoing treatment at the hospital and is expected to stay for a few more days.
Anthony Ferreri, University Hospital president and CEO, said the new wing will help kids feel better when they're in the hospital, which can be a frightening and intimidating place.
"We just try to make their hospital stay pleasant, and that's what the playroom is for," said Vivian Alestra, child life specialist in the Pediatrics Department.
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