Comfort for Hospitalized Children

This post does not discuss Watkins products or our home based business opportunity but the topic is so important that I included it in my blog.

Last Fall a young girl named Sami asked that people send Crayons and Coloring Books to the hospitalized children at St. Jude Children's Hospital for her birthday. Many people were very touched by her wish. The request circulated around the internet. I sent coloring books and crayons, as I'm sure, many of you did.

I wondered if the hospital could accept these gifts of coloring books and crayons but I sent them anyway. I was pleased to receive a Thank You letter from the hospital with a list of patient gift items they could use. I've included that list in this post.

Whether you sent coloring books and crayons in honor of Sami's birthday or not I'd like to urge you to contribute to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or to your local hospital. These gifts help comfort sick children and their families. Who deserves your generosity more than a sick child? Let your children feel the love of giving. Call your local hospital for a list of items they accept.

St. Jude Suggested Patient Gift List

Infant/Toddler
Washable Plastic Mobiles
Crib/Musical Activity Centers
High Chairs
Umbrella Strollers*
Infant Seats/Car Seats*
Fisher-Price/Playskool Toys*
Bouncy Seats/Jumperoos
Baby Swings and Rockers
Baby Einstein Items*

Preschool
Duplo Blocks
Toy Cash Register*
Play Telepone*
Baby Born*
Toy Doctor Kit*
Silly Six Pins Bowling*
Musical Instruments
See and Say*
ColorForms*
Play Dish Sets and Play Food
Wooden and Plastic Puzzles (only)
Toy Cars/Trucks/Motorcycles
Playdough*/Activity Sets
Art Supplies/Coloring Books
Games
Bed Bugs*
Mr/Mrs Potato Head*
Hungry Hungry Hippos*
Elefun*
Lucky Ducks*
To Grandma's House We Go
Sponge Bob/Bob the Builder
Thomas the Train/Veggie Tales*
Dora the Explorer*
Fisher-Price/Playskool*
Shape Sorter Toys

School Age/Adolescent
Action Figures
Spiderman*, Hulk
Transformers*, Yu-Gi-Oh*
Wooden and Plastic Puzzles (only)
Etch A Sketch*
Lego Bionicles/Clikits*
Barbies/Bratz Doll
Hello Kitty/Polly Pocket
Strawberry Shortcake*
My Little Pony*
Toy Cars/Trucks/Motorcycles
Sports Balls
Snap-Tite No Glue Models (only)
Arts, Crafts and Scrapbook Items
Fuzzy Posters*
Gameboy and Games*
XBox/Game Cube and Games*
Handheld Electronic Games*
Telephones*/Alarm Clocks*
Card Games* Uno* Skip Bo*
View Master*
DVD Movies (G or PG13)
Personal MP3/CD Players*
Music CDs*
CD Cases*
Nail Polish Kits
Jewelry*

Board Games and Travel Games
Apples to Apples*
Sequence*
Taboo*
Boggle
Oodles of Doodles*
Balderdash*
Pictionary*
Gesstures*
Catch 22*
Ants in the Pants*
Don't Break the Ice
Scattergories*
Cranium*
Perfection*
Guess Who*
Coda*
Raging Rapids*
Checkers
Chess
Trivial Pursuit*
Mancala*
Jenga Extreme*
Uno Attack*

School Supplies
Backpacks and Misc. Items

All Ages
Pre-paid Phone Cards* (International and Domestic)
Batteries* (All Sizes)
Disposable Cameras*

Gift Certificates
Toys R Us*
JC Penney*
Wal-Mart*
Target*
Old Navy*
Best Buy*
Blockbuster*
American Eagle*
Abercrombie and Fitch*
Gap*, Baby Gap* and Gap Kids

* = Items specially needed due to numerous patient requests

Per Doctor's Orders to maximize effectiveness of patient treatment and reduce chance of infection or serious allergic reaction) handmade/fabric items should be from pet-free, smoke-free areas and must be sealed in a ZipLoc Bag.

This includes items such as
Do-Rags/ Bandana Head Coverings*
Quilts
Tote Bags
Bibs/Burp Pads

Unfortunately, we cannot distribute or use any of the following items
Stuffed Animals
Toy Guns
Cloth Body Dolls
Porcelain Dolls
Religious Items
Soap Bubble Mixtures
Food Items
Candy
Balloons
VHS Movies
Used Items of Any Kind

Please Do Not Gift Wrap Items

Questions
Call Donor Services at 1-800-822-6344

Please Ship Items to
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Attn: Vilma Carnahan
595 N Parkway
Memphis, TN 38105

From All The Children And Families Of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Thank You For Your Kindness, Concern, And Loving Generosity!