PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's basketball's Dylan Harper, PJ Hayes IV, and Tyson Acuff walked into a hospital room at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick on Wednesday morning.
 
Liam, a child battling pediatric cancer, got up from his hospital bed, grabbed his basketball, smiled, and said, "You guys want to play on my team?"
 
"Just kidding, it'll be three-on-one," Liam laughed, as he pulled out his basketball hoop to play.
 
The three Scarlet Knights brought a smile to Liam's face and shot hoops with him in his hospital room.
 
This special interaction was one of many that RU partook in as they walked the pediatric hospital floors. The Scarlet Knights signed basketballs, gifted apparel, took part in arts and crafts and met many children fighting pediatric cancer and other serious conditions on Wednesday morning.
 
"It means a lot to be here," Harper said. "The holiday season is all about giving back. Meeting these kids and seeing their smiles was the best part about today."
 
"The best part about the holiday season is uplifting people," Acuff added. "It's all about giving these children a sense of hope and I believe that is what we were blessed to do today."
 
"I am blessed to be here, and there aren't many times that you get an opportunity like this," Hayes IV said. "To be able to put a smile on their faces was nice to see. I love uplifting other people, but these children today did the same for me."
 
"It was the best part of the day for the hospital staff too. Our Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital team is incredibly good at creating a warm and family-centered environment for children receiving care here because we know it is difficult to be in the hospital and away from home," said RWJUH President Alan Lee. "We are deeply grateful to our partners at Rutgers Athletics and Rutgers Basketball, especially Dylan, PJ and Tyson for lifting the spirits of our children and families even more during this holiday season."
 
The Scarlet Knights are fresh off an 80-76 victory over Penn State on Tuesday night at Jersey Mike's Arena and return to the floor to host in-state rival Seton Hall at home for the Garden State Hardwood Classic.
 
About RWJBarnabas Health Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Hospital (BMSCH) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is part of the Children's Health Network of RWJBarnabas Health and the hub of NJ's only academic pediatric medical campus alongside Rutgers Child Health Institute and the PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital.

A dedicated pediatric teaching facility, BMSCH offers the highest levels of pediatric care available in a family-centered healing environment. From pediatric surgery, urology, and cardiology to oncology, hematology, pulmonology, and pediatric/emergency care, BMSCH's specialists and intensivists provide advanced care for children of all ages – from fragile newborns to adolescents. BMSCH ranked #47 (tie) in orthopedics and #35 (tie) in urology by U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025 Best Children's Hospital ranking. BMSCH is also home to New Jersey's first designated pediatric trauma center and an internationally recognized adolescent bariatric surgery center of excellence.