11/08/2023
** TODAY is the start of our annual toy drive!***
**PLEASE SHARE AND READ**
Do you have an abundance of brand new toys that sit in the back of the closet, or the gift purchased with well intentions that never made it to its destination?
Maybe you would love to teach your children about giving back, we would love to help you get those items into the hands of a child this holiday season!
We will be collecting new toys, clothes, baby supplies, toiletries, blankets, Christmas Stockings, books, electronic chargers, white noise machines and gift cards to supply the inpatient pediatric units throughout Boston and the Greater Boston Area!
Donations can be dropped off in Norwood or picked up locally (Please PM for address).
Monetary donations can be made to The Thomas Strong Foundation at Rockland Trust, Venmo: ThomasStrongFoundation
**If you or your company are willing to place a box at your place of business to collect donations please let me know!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/ZOAZQ22Q5OAF?ref_=wl_share
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For those who are new here, a little backstory, our page started off as a daily blog to keep friends, family, and even angels we met along our journey up to date on our son Thomas’s journey with cardiac disease and recovery after suffering an unexpected and debilitating stroke at four months old.
For over five months, we lived and walked the halls with a veil of positivity, faith, and hope between Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Together, we fought and advocated fiercely against the odds that stood before us, no more fiercely than Thomas himself with his twinkling blue eyes, deep belly laughs, and his deep determination to play and be a kid.
September 2018, Thomas made his way back home to us, back to his own bed, his own puppy, and the humdrum of normal life.
Thomas was home for a week when on the way home from an appointment at MGH, next to Children’s Thomas became unresponsive.
God had a bigger plan for Thomas and called him home. Thomas was laid to rest days shy of 10 months old.
That night as we held Thomas in our arms for the final time we swore that our son would not be forgotten, that he would live on bringing joy, positivity, support, and advocacy to those who have walked the same path as our family if even for a day so we started the Thomas Strong Foundation.
Our first big toy drive, just months after a Thomas passed, was to mark his first birthday with the intention of every inpatient child on the cardiac at Boston Children’s Hospital received a brand new toy and ice cream social for Thomases Birthday. This initial idea has now swelled to included all inpatient pediatric patients throughout Boston and the Greater Boston area.
Although we are small, to date our Thomas Strong Community has collected and donated over $80,000 in brand new toys and supplies, sent along virtual gift cards to parents for a meal, caffeine boost, helped to pay for lodging, Ubers, funeral expenses, thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, toys under the tree for medically complex/fragile families, and so much more.
Michael Jordan
