A Mother’s Christmas Wish Comes True in the Hospital
During the second week of December, in the middle of peak holiday season, Jessica was looking forward to buying her twin daughters presents for their first Christmas.
Her plans were abruptly disrupted when Arcelia, one of her one-year-old twins, was suddenly admitted to the hospital on December 12th, 2024.
Diagnosed with cancer, specifically undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma, the news was a shock to Jessica and her family. “We never imagined anything was wrong,” shared Jessica.
Unexpected Kindness in an Unexpected Trial
It was a lot for Jessica and Arcelia to be in the hospital during what was supposed to be a joyful and celebratory time.
They were separated from Arcelia’s father and twin, who could not stay with them because of her sister’s young age.
On top of this, Arcelia started to become afraid of the hospital staff who were trying to help her. At the beginning of her stay, nurses and doctors would only come in to touch her belly or poke her to give her an IV.
"She became super fearful of anyone who entered with a mask,” Jessica said.
Jessica was disheartened. It would be Arcelia’s first Christmas she’d ever experienced. She wanted to stay by Arcelia’s side and give her the best first Christmas.
But how could she do that if Jessica couldn’t go gift shopping?
Hope arrived when she received news of good cheer: Arcelia would be receiving gifts this year!
A nurse came in with a gift bag filled with toys for Arcelia that the hospital received through the Starlight Toy Deliveries program.
Jessica was also invited to attend a hospital event where parents could go and pick gifts for their children — she would be able to select gifts for Arcelia after all.
“I actually cried when I was told Arcelia would be receiving gifts.”
- Jessica, Arcelia's Mom
Wrapped in Comfort and Warmth
The warm gestures Arcelia and Jessica received helped them feel comfortable and build trust with the hospital staff. Arcelia no longer thought of pokes and pains when someone with a mask walked into her room. Instead, she thought of her fun toys!
Seeing the toys that Arcelia received and the effort made to give her an amazing Christmas made Jessica feel in the warmth of the holidays. “I felt at home,” Jessica said.
These toys helped create joyful moments for Arcelia and her sister, too. Arcelia loves her twin sister and couldn’t wait until the next time they saw each other. Though her sister couldn’t stay overnight at the hospital with them, she and her Dad visited often and had fun playing with the toys!
“The girls play for hours with the toys Arcelia was gifted,” said Jessica. “It helps create a playful environment in a not so playful place.”
Make Families’ Christmas Wishes Come True
While in unforeseen circumstances, unanticipated kindness gave Arcelia and Jessica the holiday experience they didn’t think they would have.
Joyful moments like these help families cope with the challenges of cancer during the holidays.
These brand-new, high-quality toys Arcelia received were delivered by Starlight, thanks to kind-hearted community members who helped fund their delivery.
Right now, we are preparing to deliver toys to hundreds of families like Arcelia’s in hospitals across the country.
But we can’t do it alone — we need your help to get it to them.
They didn’t choose to spend the holidays in a hospital, but together, we can choose to deliver happiness to families when they need it most.
“These gifts definitely helped dealing with the sad fact that we were separated from our families in what was supposed to be a joyous time.”
- Jessica, Arcelia's Mom
