ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Being in and out of the hospital is nothing new for 7-year-old Abby Dudley, who was born with cerebral palsy.
Having to undergo many treatments at Carilion Children’s Hospital, including a brain surgery just last week, she knows what it feels like to be in the hospital around the holidays.
That’s why Abby and her family are spreading the holiday cheer to other children and families at Carilion by delivering toys she collected from the community.
Monday they dropped off nine boxes of donated toys.
Nurses and doctors at the hospital say it’s families like the Dudleys that make Christmas special for children going through a tough time.
“To have the Dudleys want to give back after they have been seen at their facility, it means the world to all of us and it’s so touching, not only to see their face this time of year, but to hear their kind words of support,” said Sarah Kress, a child life specialist.
Abby’s mom, Trista Dudley, says her daughters even bought some of the toys with their own money.
“They were so excited about it, they were like, ‘I bet a kid would like this one and this one.’ To see how big their heart was to buy toys for other kids is awesome,” said Trista
Abby’s mom also says while they donated the toys for Christmas, Carilion accepts toys and gifts donated for children year-round.
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