A group of moms is working to put a smile on the faces of kids with cancer by collecting toys this holiday season.
"The Toy Closet," a program at MACC Fund Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children's Wisconsin, was created by Laura Shea to give young patients a chance to receive a special gift to celebrate the holidays.
"These kids can have hours long infusions and some of them have to go down for radiation," Shea said. "They can be really long days for them, and just having that a little hope for being so brave at the end of their appointments can really brighten them up."
The kids have a chance to go to The Toy Closet and pick out a new trinket to cheer them up after a difficult procedure or long day, Shea explained of the program.
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Kristy Kempf, a mom from suburban Round Lake, brought her son Nathan to the Center at Children's Hospital for a blood transfusion at age 5 and said he spent five months at the medical center.
"He had his birthday in the hospital and they brought him gifts from the toy closest," Kempf said. "(The Toy Closet) just gives you a slice of normalcy when you're in the middle of that sort of ordeal."
To donate a toy from the Amazon wish list, click here.
