Six Years of Unexpected Holiday Comfort and Cheer
Every December, Athena hopes for one simple thing — that her son, Spiro, won’t have to spend Christmas in the hospital again.
8-year-old Spiro lives with several medical conditions, including epilepsy and cerebral palsy. Hospital visits and stays are a part of everyday life for him and his mom. It’s difficult for Spiro to be in the hospital; he hates it when people come into his room to touch or draw his blood.
“He fights daily to stay alive.”
- Athena, Spiro's Mom
Though Spiro is non-verbal, his personality shines through every smile. He loves Super Mario, the Grinch, Sonic and Dr. Seuss. Spiro has a contagious chuckle that fills a room and always has his dimpled smile.
A smile Athena says, “makes us forget everything he goes through daily.”
Six Christmases Spent in a Hospital Room
The holidays haven’t been easy for Spiro and Athena. Spiro has spent six Christmases in the hospital, recovering from surgery or bad illness. Because of this, Athena and Spiro miss out on fun holiday activities.
“I haven’t been able to take Spiro to things where we embrace the Christmas spirit, like go to see the Christmas lights, go on a ride, or go to a party,” Athena shares. “For us, really, Christmas time tends to be hard where we try to hope he doesn’t get sick.”
One Christmas Eve, Spiro was discharged from the hospital at 7pm. “Our Christmas Eve gift was to leave and go home,” Athena recalls.
But hours later, she noticed that Spiro wasn’t doing well. Something was wrong.
Athena rushed Spiro to the hospital. It turned out to be a more critical situation.
“He almost flatlined in two seconds. I made it to the ER at 3am in the morning. I made it just in time.”
- Athena, Spiro's Mom
Thankfully, Spiro's condition stabilized. However, Athena and Spiro were due to stay in the hospital for another week.
Once again, they were celebrating Christmas at the hospital.
The Holiday Spirit They Didn’t Expect
To their surprise, every day, Spiro received a donated gift, no matter which floor he was on. Athena was invited to the hospital’s Winter Festival, where she could pick up 10 donated toys and wrap them for Spiro herself.
It was more than just a break from the hospital room. For a moment, Athena could breathe, smile and feel a bit of normal joy.
“All the extra little things they did for us helped me to relax after we almost lost him.”
- Athena, Spiro's Mom
Those gifts meant even more that year. Athena’s husband had lost his job, and between full-time caregiving and hospital visits, Athena had no time to go Christmas shopping.
Athena lined up the gifts she hand picked for Spiro in his room, some with his favorite characters. He would reach to tap or touch them, chuckling. His little dimple was showing once again.
The toys helped to distract Spiro, and Athena noticed the difference. “I knew he was in a different mood. He wasn’t focused on not feeling good,” shares Athena.
Healing begins with happiness™
When asked why these toys matter so much, Athena didn’t hesitate:
“The child may feel special. The smiles, the boost in mood – it helps kids with recovery. That’s the biggest thing. The distraction and feeling special helps kids throughout their recovery.”
- Athena, Spiro's Mom
This holiday season, you can gift happiness that supports healing to kids like Spiro.
Your donation helps deliver Starlight Toy Deliveries to hospitals across the country, bringing joy, hope and comfort to kids when they need it most.
Because being in the hospital is hard.
But the holidays don’t have to be.
Give happiness this season.
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