CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Chesterfield mom Donna Reynolds lost her nine-year-old son Kellan on July 2, 2020 to a rare Mitochondrial disease. Now, she's helping keep his memory alive through a toy drive for children receiving care at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Reynolds knows firsthand how much toys and crafts can help a child and their family when they spend days inside the hospital.
"It gives them a piece of joy," said Reynolds. "Some of these kids are stuck in the hospital for a long time, some with wires and IVs, and I mean they have nothing to do."
During Kellan's time at St. Mary's, his mom said he loved the toys he received. On his birthday, the staff even found him a stuffed Mr. Potato Head, which was his favorite.
Last year, Reynolds reached out to CBS 6 to help spread the word about her effort to raise as many toys as she could for the hospital.
"We ended up raising 1,200 toys all together for the hospital, which was great," she explained.
But this year, they're hoping to gather even more items.
"This year, St. Mary's is struggling to get donations, and they don't have any toys as of right now," said Reynolds.
If you'd like to help Reynolds donate toys, you can visit thisFacebook page or purchase items directly from Amazon or thisTarget wish list.
Reynolds plans to drop off the toys in January, in honor of Kellan's birthday.
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