Teenage patients at the Medical College of Georgia Children's Medical Center now have their own playroom.

"We have three playrooms for younger children, but until now teens didn't have their own retreat," said Kym Allen, the manager of child and adolescent life services. "This space will be just for the teens, their own hangout spot to have fun."

The teen room, which was an unused patient room, is a collegiate-style space decorated with sports memorabilia, beanbags, a couch and rockers. There is also a flat-screen television, a computer, a Playstation with video games, arts and crafts, and movies.

Chantal Gunn, a teen who was hospitalized at MCG for 20 days last year, was in awe when she visited the room Aug. 26.

"It's awesome. It's really cool that the teens have their own area," said the 16-year-old, who has to visit a clinic at MCG every three months. "When you are in the hospital, you get bored laying around. It's nice to have something to do to take your mind off of being there."

The medical center received a $10,000 grant from the Alicia Rose "Victorious" Foundation, whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for teen patients at children's hospitals by funding the rooms.

Input on the new room came from the hospital's children's advisory council and its teen patients, Mrs. Allen said.

"We asked them what they would like to see in a teen room and what they would be most likely to use," she said. "We used their ideas to come up with a room that, I think, they will love using."