RICHMOND, Va. -- As a child, being in the hospital for even just a day can be quite traumatic, so getting a young patient to smile can be difficult.
"I have loved doing this. This is something I am passionate about," Donna Reynolds said.
Passion for Reynolds comes from experience. Her son Kellan spent half of his young life in the hospital and oftentimes, a new toy would help to bring a smile to his face.
"We were there for his birthday and they found a stuffed Mr. Potato Head for him and I was like, how did you find that?"
At St. Mary's Hospital, Donna saw compassion and understanding when staff interacted with her son.
"Got to know him and would bring in a toy that he would like to play with, find a movie he'd like to watch," Reynolds said.
Her son Kellan was born in January 2011.
"Everyone that was ever around him, he just loved and he was the sweetest child," Reynolds said.
However, early on, Reynolds realized that something was wrong with her child. He would first be hospitalized at just five weeks old and it would take years before his diagnosis.
"At five years old, he was finally diagnosed with mitochondrial disease," Reynolds said.
When he wasn't in the hospital, Kellan found happiness simply by taking a ride in the car. However, when it came time for another stay in the hospital, a toy would introduce a sense of peace.
"It took his mind off of what was really going on," Reynolds said.
Kellan was just nine years old when he passed away in 2020. Reynolds wanted to find a way to honor her son while helping others.
With so much time spent in the hospital beside Kellan, Reynolds would realize what her mission would become. In 2021, she began her first toy drive. Her goal was to collect toys for children of all ages and deliver them to St. Mary's.
That first year, more than 500 toys were collected from donations. In 2022, 1,200 were delivered to the hospital to give out to kids staying in pediatrics and in the emergency room.
"Kids are bored, they're scared, they don't know what's going on. And bringing toys to them and they get to keep it, makes it feel a little bit more special. Makes them feel more at home," Reynolds said.
Child-life specialist Laura Abbruzzese is able to see how much of a difference a small toy can make in the life of a child who has to stay in the hospital.
"It really helps get them through those difficult times as well. It gives them the opportunity to just be a kid, even though they are experiencing a lot of things many kids don't have to experience," Abbruzzese said.
This year, Reynolds has collected more than 700 toys, including a toy that still reminds her of Kellan.
"He was obsessed with Potato Head. That was his favorite toy in the entire world," Reynolds said.
When a child gets a new toy, Kellan's legacy lives on.
"I think it's a beautiful way to continue their legacy," Abbruzzese said.
"The way he was caring and lovable and just a kind soul he was. I mean, I think he'd be proud of this," Reynolds said.
Reyolds said one of the best gifts she's gotten is learning that parents whose children have been in St. Mary's and received a toy now donate to her toy drive.
If you would like to donate some toys, you can do so through these Targetand Amazon registries.
