The Alan Davis Stiles, MD, Lookout Terrace

The Alan Davis Stiles, MD, Lookout Terrace is located on the top floor (7th) of N.C. Children’s Hospital, wrapping around the other patient-family comfort and recreational areas on 7 Children’s, including the Hospital School, Ronald McDonald Family Room, recreational therapy, teen lounge and two-story play atrium. The space consists of five “rooms,” themed after North Carolina’s natural places:

The Mountains – Designed with a focus on palliative care, the mountain-themed area is intended to be a peaceful and serene place of meditation and togetherness for those wanting to spend time with loved ones. Privacy curtains and placement at the end of the garden deck provide the optimal place for quiet.

The Forest – The forest-themed area features a large tree for shade and many large planters to give patients and families the feel of the great outdoors.

The Meadow – The meadow-themed area is the most versatile for patients and families. With its own friendly neighborhood turtle and butterflies, guest in this area of the garden are surrounded by outdoor friends.

The Beach – Complete with its own pirate ship, this area offers visitors a “day at the beach” experience. From dolphins to lounge chairs, families can experience a taste of the Atlantic year-round.

The Sunroom – A perfect complement to the Beach, the Sunroom is an enclosed room with the feel of a summer beach house. With comfortable seating and plenty of light, this room provides a cozy feel for those seeking an outdoor experience even on the coldest days. A virtual window nestled between the bookcases offers a simulated view of the sun and surf, with waves crashing onto sandy shores.

Lookout Terrace was funded exclusively through nearly $1 million in philanthropic support from almost 200 individuals and organizations, including major gifts from the Eric Montross Father’s Day Basketball Camp and the Charles H. Goren Foundation.

The space is named in honor of former chief physician and chair of pediatrics, Dr. Alan Stiles, a neonatologist at UNC who was the driving force behind creation of Lookout Terrace. The idea was inspired by a former patient of Stiles, a boy born at UNC who spent the entire five years of his life in the hospital, unable to go outside because of the specialized medical equipment that helped keep him alive.

After the child’s passing, and particularly after the opening of the freestanding children’s hospital at UNC in 2002, Stiles envisioned creating a safe and secure outdoor space enabling children with serious medical conditions to go outside with all the equipment and access necessary for hospital beds, wheel chairs, IV poles and more. Lookout Terrace is the realization of that dream and a lasting legacy that will benefit inpatients at N.C. Children's Hospital for years to come.