Lily’s Pad has been working to build a hyperclean, indoor playground for immunocompromised children in Tempe since April of 2020. Originally, the nonprofit was building on Apache in Tempe in a donated space. Unfortunatley, they lost that space when the city of Tempe purchased the building with plans to repurpose if for multifamily housing.

After a year of searching for a new location, redesigning, and permitting, Lily’s Pad is at last under construction. The facility is located at Priest and Southern in Tempe and is slted to open in April of 2023. This is a special date for the founding family, as it marks the three-year anniversary of a cancer-fee Lily Taylor, the inspiration behind the project.

Lily’s Pad will provide a safe place to play for children who are undergoing treatments or born with conditions that impact their immunity. Examples include children battling cancer, living with congenital heart defects, or born with congenital heart defects, or born with primary immune deficiencies. The facility will also have a space dedicated to caregivers to allow them to socialize with other families, get much needed rest, or find resources that they may not be aware of.

The nonprofit is still seeking an additional $100,000 in donations to get the space open and is actively working to fundraise and grant write to hit their opening date goal.