Starlight's Disney Deliveries Deliver Smiles

Andrew’s mom, Julie, knows the tough reality of what it is like to see her own child hospitalized. Earlier this year, two-year-old Andrew was diagnosed with a blood disorder that required him to be treated at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center. 

For kids like Andrew, the hospital can be a scary place filled with unknowns and such a drastic change from their normal home environment – but this is where Starlight comes in. We work with our hospital partners to ensure that they have Starlight programs, like Starlight Deliveries, to help transform a child’s hospital experience.  

During his first hospital visit, Andrew’s Child Life Specialist surprised him with a gift from Starlight Deliveries – his very own Pixar Cars “Mack Vehicle.” While it may be a small gesture, this toy distracted Andrew and brought him moments of joy throughout his stay.  

“He played with it the whole time he was there. He talked about it when he came home from the hospital. And he was actually happy to go back to the hospital the second time because he was so excited to see Mack again,” Julie explained.  

This is the importance of Starlight Deliveries. They allow a sick kid to just enjoy being a kid for a while, even when they are being treated in the hospital – which is a greater need than ever with the ongoing pandemic causing limitations on visitors and playrooms to be closed. 

With the help of our friends at Disney, Starlight is able to deliver hundreds of thousands of books, toys, games, arts & crafts, and more to our hospital partners across the US at absolutely no cost to them. 

This holiday season, you can help us continue to make an impact on hospitalized kids, like Andrew, by donating today.