NORFOLK, Va. - An effort to cheer up some brave children fighting cancer at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters (CHKD) took place Wednesday.
Volunteers from Gwaltney partnered with the Roc Solid Foundation to pack bookbags for their Ready Bag Program.
These Roc Solid Ready Bags were delivered to families in Norfolk.
When families find out their child has cancer, it can be one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Many kids are admitted to start treatment right away, and it can leave some parents unprepared for what comes next.
That’s where the Ready Bags come in.
They include everything that a family might need for their sometimes unexpected hospital stay.
Volunteers filled blue backpacks with toiletries, a blanket, a journal, a tablet, a phone charger, games and other essentials so that the family can stay together during this time and not have to rush home to pick up necessities.
The bags were packed Wednesday at Smithfield Foods Headquarters, then delivered right into the hands of families at CHKD.
Each of the bags including a handwritten note to let them know they’re not alone in this fight.
“I remember sitting in the hospital bed with Sadie when they came in with the big blue book bag for her, and we read the message and the card. And it was the first time through that whole experience that we felt like we had a little bit of hope,” said Morgan Griffin, the mother of a pediatric cancer patient. “That maybe it's going to be OK, and we truly appreciate everything that Roc Solid has done for our family.”
Thirty-six bags were packed Wednesday!
This is the fifth year that Gwaltney has partnered with the Roc Solid Foundation to help support its mission for families facing pediatric cancer.
Click herefor more information about the Roc Solid Foundation.
Related: "Ready Bags" help families stay prepared for unexpected hospital trips
