Julie Jones shows some of the toys she collected this year for the Pediatric Clinic at the NIH Clinical Center.
Photo credit: Lianne Priede
In December, former patient Julie Jones donated over 1,000 toys to the Pediatric Clinic at the NIH Clinical Center. Jones is a former patient in the Pediatric Oncology Branch who was treated more than 20 years ago for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. During the course of her treatment, Jones’ mom had to stop working, which put a financial burden on the family. Jones says, “At Christmas time, there was no money to buy gifts, and I saw how much it hurt my parents to not be able to give anything. I was 17 and understood, but what burdened me was that I was sure there were other families in the same situation.”
For the last 18 years, Jones has donated toys in December to make sure that children receive a special something around the holidays and to keep the treasure box in the Pediatric Clinic stocked year-round. She says, “I remember what it was like. What these children are going through at such a young age really breaks your heart. I’ve often said there’s nothing greater than seeing the smile on the face of a sick child.”