Published on December 21, 2022
Thanks to the help of two volunteer groups, pediatric hospice patients and their families will be able to spend the holidays together with their lists fulfilled! The team at PYA PC and Brittany Wright, along with her friends and family, each adopted a pediatric patient and their family for holiday gift-giving.
Last week, Alive joined the volunteers at PYA for their annual wrapping party. Each year, they make the holiday season a bit brighter for one of our pediatric patients and their family. Alive has cared for several loved ones of PYA, and this is their way of remembering and giving back.
“It’s so great to be able to do something hands-on by wrapping the gifts,” said Kaleighn Oakley of the PYA team. “Each year we donate money as a team to be used toward the gifts, and Kayla and Molly purchase them based on the wishlists. So, the wrapping party is our way to be more involved in getting the gifts to the family.”
Alive chaplain Joel Reynolds shared with the group that this family mostly desired practical items for the holidays like socks, blankets, and a space heater. The three-year-old patient and his younger siblings will also receive some fun toys and clothes.
“Some of the items on their lists are things that we take for granted like sheets and pillows,” said Kayla Richards of PYA. “We’re always so grateful for the opportunity to help make things a little easier for them.”
Brittany Wright, who has been an Alive volunteer for six years, brought her wrapped gifts to Alive the same day and shared why this tradition of giving is so important to her.
“When my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2015, my mom and I provided his care for the last 7 days. It was one of the hardest and most beautiful weeks of my life. One of the things my dad said around that time was that if he could do it over again, he’d help more people. My dad was an amazing Christian man who was always helping people, but to hear him say that truly stuck with me. Now, I carry that with me. It’s never lost on me what an honor and privilege it is to help people during some of their hardest days.”
Thank you all for making this holiday so special for our patients and their families!
Want to help patients and families impacted by long-term illnesses? Make a gift today.