Local blood center donates trucks full of toys to Children’s Hospital of Georgia

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – It’s that time of year for giving, and Shepeard Community Blood Center made special delivery to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia Friday morning.

The blood donation center dropped off two vans full of toys for patients at the hospital.

Patricia Knotts, the assistant director at Shepeard, said this was about the same amount that was donated last year.

“The toys and the activities that are in the boxes just help to make it a little easier on them, and bring a smile to them for a minute,” she said.

Some of the toys will be given to the children today, and some will be saved for Christmas, birthdays and surgery days.

Employees at the hospital and at Shepeard said the positive impact this has on the children is immeasurable.

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“Kids just want to be kids,” said Stephanie Grayson, a Child Life Specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. “Even when our kids don’t feel good and they’re sick, they just want to have fun. So in order to do that, we really need help from the community.”

While the toys will help bring comfort and happiness to the children, they are still in critical need of blood and platelet donations.

“Platelets play a big role in the treatment of cancer and for the different diseases the children are experiencing,” said Knotts, the assistant director at Shepeard. “We’re currently in critical need of O negative blood as well, but every blood type is always needed and appreciated.”

and rep say they’re looking forward to doing it again next year.

This is the blood center’s fourth year doing a toy drive, and representatives from both Shepeard and CHOG said they want to thank everyone who donated, and that they’re looking forward to doing it again next year.

“Toys, arts and crafts, coloring, play – that’s really how they talk to us and get through their emotions,” said Grayson, the child life specialist at CHOG. “We can’t do that without support, so Shepeard coming down to help us with that is really amazing.”