Playtime for sick kids at Royal Columbian Hospital just got a lot more fun.
Two Grade 7 students in Coquitlam recently held a toy drive for the hospital's children's ward and gathered 26 boxes of items to be delivered there.
The toys couldn't have arrived at a better time, said Michelle Dersch, pediatrics patient care coordinator at the hospital.
"We purge toys on a regular basis to ensure we meet infection control standards, and it has been a long time since we've received any new toys for our young patients to play with," she said in a press release. "Not only do the children being treated at RCH benefit from the distraction of having these toys to play with, but so do their siblings who spend time here, as well."
Giordana Masi and her friend Olivia D'Agostini, both 13, said they wanted to support the hospital where they were both born.
"Sometimes you are so lucky and others may not have the same opportunities, and we think it is important to try to bring those opportunities to them," said Giordana, in the press release, and Olivia agreed: "We were both born here, and we've been cared for here, so we wanted to make kids' stays in the hospital a little more enjoyable by donating these toys," she said.
