How you can help make a difference

Here’s where you can give back and make a huge difference in the lives of sweet children and their families who are going through so much, especially during the holiday season. You know Kate McRae, the sweet and beautiful girl who is fighting brain cancer – well her and her family are doing something so wonderful. They are making sure that all of the patients on the oncology floor of the hospital where Kate is treated have a very Merry Christmas. Kate might be in the hospital at that time and her birthday is the day after Christmas so you can see how children might really be down and need some cheering up.

Here’s a bit of what Holly, Kate’s Mom, wrote about this:
“Reality is, we could be up here for Christmas, which means, no Christmas with all of the kids together. And Kate’s birthday is the day after. The thought is so very discouraging. How could we not enjoy such a special holiday together. 2 kids at home, and one in the hospital going through an extremely tough and rigorous chemotherapy? No family breakfast, no opening stockings together, no traditions, no Christmas with the 5 of us. So the more we thought about it, the more we realized, we may get the chance to be home, we just don’t know. But the reality is, there will be families up here. On the oncology floor, away from the traditions, their immediate families and extended families, fighting for the lives of their children. Some their resources spent to get their children treatment. Others deciding which children to spend Christmas with. Others wondering if this will be their last Christmas together. The thought never ceases to bring me to tears. And so we thought we could ask Kate’s amazing followers to help us try and make it a special day for these kids. We are going to ask for people to send donations for kids of all ages and around Christmas we will distribute the gifts to the families from all of you! We want these kids to know they are loved, thought of and treasured. I wish fun gifts could take away a diagnosis, bring families back together, bring total healing. We obviously know it can’t. However, we can bring smiles where they may be lacking. And bring a glimmer of hope on very dark days. We would love it if you and your families would consider making these very special kids a part of your Christmas this year.”

Is that not a wonderful thing? As soon as I read about it, I knew it was something I was going to help with and I am asking that you, my sweet and giving blog readers be a part of it, too.

Here is a wish list of what items Kate and her family would love to have donated. These will give you some idea of the things that they are needing:

• Legos (all ages and kinds) big need!
• Bionicles
• webkinz
• books (specifically needs for pop-ups, Look and Find, textured books, push button books or books on tape
• hats
• color wonder, drawing pads, fun paints or markers etc,color wonder paints
• puzzles (especially 25 and 50 pce. and high count puzzles for the teens)
• fuzzy posters
• pixos starter sets
• baby dolls (preferably hard, water babies are great)
• playdough and playdough things
• body wash and lotions (mild scent may be preferable as their smells change and skin is more sensitive)
• nail polish
• CD’s – instrumental
• beading kits
• wood art (or art projects)
• window paints
• light up toys
• mobiles for the babies (no cloth)
• fish tank mobiles
• magazines for the teens (with discretion)
• barbies
• hot wheels
• stick on earrings
• action figures
• pjs
• slippers
• dvd movies (especially disney movies! new releases, appropriate comedies for the teens, Sponge Bob is huge here)
• little stick on basketball hoops
• board games are big! (Guess Who, Sequence, Sequence Jr, Fishing games, Apples to apples, memory, catch phrase… games can be the child version or adult version of any fun game)
  Card games (especially Uno… or other fun specific ones), Perfection, Jumpin Monkeys, Pretty pretty princess, Operation, Pizza Pile up, battleship, Bop-it, Catch Phrase and
  poplular characters are Sponge Bob, Spiderman, Cars, Batman, Ninja Turtles, Sesame Street, Hannah Montana, I Carly, disney princesses….
  playstation, wii, and game cube games
• Infant light up toys, noise making toys, crib mirror
• Yo Gabba Gabba toys
• dora toys
• sesame street toys
• thomas the train
• chunky cars and trucks
• pirate ships and figures
• Fisher Price spiraling speedway
• princess toys

Another great idea are gift cards. If you’d rather not buy gifts and mail them this is another way you can help. The gift cards can be specificaly for the patient families or they can be used to purchase gifts for the families. Please indicate with the gift card which you would like it used for and they will make it happen! The gift cards to purchase gifts could be for WalMart, Target, Toys R Us, Amazon or Barnes and Noble or simply a Visa gift card (or any other of your choice). Gift cards to go directly for the families could be to any of the above or any restaurant and any ideas that you believe would be helpful. Again just let us know what you would like the gift card used for!

They would like to have all of the gifts by December 15th so that they can be wrapped and given out to all of the patients and families. Please send your gifts unwrapped.

Another thing that they are doing that I think is such a wonderful idea is that they are going to have Bibles available to give with each gift, if the child and or family member would like one. Of course it’s not something they have to accept, but they are going to have some available. If you would like to donate a Jesus Storybook Bible, (THIS is the one they love) or a Bible for an older child or adult, that would be wonderful as well and they would be so appreciative. I think it’s a lovely thing to do.

All gift donations can be mailed to: