Article by Molly Perrotta ’18:
The greatest tradition of the Christmas season is giving. For weeks, people around the world have been searching for ways to spread Christmas joy to those around them. This year, I decided to spread joy to a group of children, who need a little more joy than most: the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Since first hearing of St. Jude Hospital when I was little, I was inspired by the work this hospital does. Unlike any other hospital in the world, St. Jude Children’s Hospital is free of charge to their patients: no medical, transportation, food, or housing bills. They allow families to focus on helping their children get better. This Christmas, I knew I wanted to help in any way possible to bring joy to these children and their families.
After speaking with a few representatives at St. Jude Hospital, and presenting my idea with Mr. Finn, we were able to start a toy drive at Kellenberg Memorial to give to the children at the hospital for Christmas. With the help of the Health Science’s Club, teachers, and fellow students, we were able to raise a large sum of toys to send to the families at St. Jude.
On Friday, December 15, I traveled to the Manhattan branch of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to hand deliver the toys we collected. Through the help of St. Jude coordinator Damary Gonzalez, the toys are being shipped to St. Jude Hospital in Tennessee for Christmas.
For some children at St. Jude Hospital, this may be their last Christmas and we hope our gifts might bring the special gift of joy to them and their families. For others, our Christmas gifts might bring a special joy to children as they endure long struggles with cancer, trying to get better. Being able to help bring happiness to the children of St Jude Children’s Hospital, as well as their families, is something I am truly thankful to be a part of.