Adrienne Miller mentioned the thought to accumulate stuffed animals to give to youngsters at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters was one which God dropped on her coronary heart.
So naturally, she collected about 150 of them over the previous two weeks to give to the hospital for Valentine’s Day.
Miller, a Suffolk resident and ACCESS College advisor at King’s Fork High School, was at Ryan’s Steaks and Cakes downtown to get the final of the donated stuffed animals earlier than taking them to CHKD.
Though many donations come round Christmas, Miller needed to ensure that children obtained one thing at a unique level in the 12 months to assist consolation them throughout their hospital stays.
“Sending bear hugs was my theme,” Miller mentioned. “And I was like, next time, the next holiday is Valentine’s Day. Why not, with everything going on with the children and what’s going on with children in reference to COVID, I was like, what better time?”
Miller mentioned she had been at CHKD in September when a new child grandson of hers was there for therapy and she or he noticed children that, regardless of being in the hospital, had been experiencing pleasure and taking part in, and it touched her coronary heart to do one thing to unfold extra pleasure to them.
“I’m just looking around and it was just overwhelming because it’s so many,” Miller mentioned, “but these kids were resilient.”
She had dozens of stuffed animals at Ryan’s from ones that had been dropped off, and she or he had already collected about one other 40 that had been on her sofa at residence. Others had been calling her with extra stuffed animals they needed to donate, whereas some former college students of hers have despatched her cash to assist accumulate much more.
Those who donated stuffed animals had been entered right into a drawing to win a meal at Ryan’s.
“I just wanted to do something,” Miller mentioned. “And why not a bear? You know, something that they can have, something that’s tangible that they’ll be able to have and to hold.”