Junior Miss Sussex supports children receiving lab services

Wrapping up her reign as the 2025 Junior Miss Sussex County, Serena Jaoude, a seventh-grader from Lewes, started a campaign to give back to Beebe Healthcare while comforting children who need lab services in Sussex County.

Serena had experienced such challenges herself during the summer when she caught a strange illness that required multiple rounds of bloodwork and caused her to miss the entire summer season as a competitive swimmer. She noted that repetitive needle pricks can be traumatic, especially for younger kids, and that’s why she decided to place baskets of stuffed animals at Beebe lab locations to comfort children getting bloodwork.

With the help of lots of friends from her YMCA swim team, Sussex Dance Academy and Worcester Preparatory School, she gathered enough stuffed animals to make deliveries to two locations.

Serena provided the items Dec. 30 to the Beebe Healthcare location where she had her own bloodwork done and to the Rehoboth Beach outpatient lab on Route 24. She met Beebe phlebotomy team members who were just as excited to receive the baskets as she was to deliver them.

“I feel so good knowing that kids who are afraid of needles will now have a stuffed animal of their choice to hold onto and take back home!” she said with a smile.

To help support her campaign with new or gently used stuffed animals, email withlove.serenajaoude@gmail.com.