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Joanne Penezic deliverd toys donated by the Helen
Keller Elementary School in Franklin to 6 East
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the last Friday of each month, Joanne Penezic brings toys to Children’s
from Helen Keller Elementary School in Franklin to fill the “treasure
chest” toy boxes in the cardiac unit’s procedure rooms.
Last year Penezic’s son Justin, a kindergartner,
spent a week on the unit. Toys from the chest, says his mom, “helped
pass the time and made him feel comfortable in his room.”
Because the chests are in constant need of new items,
Penezic started a donation program at Justin’s school. Each
month she and other parents visit a different grade and invite the
students to talk about their own hospital experiences. Students
who choose to donate new toys fill a special chest at the school,
which is then brought to Children’s.
The toy chests on 6 East were originally donated by
the family of Joshua Swinson, who lost his battle with congenital
heart disease in 1993. “They wanted to make a difference in
a child’s life, and I can honestly say it made a difference
for my son,” says Penezic. “It has become my dream to
instill in the kids that little acts of kindness can make a big
difference in our world.” |
