Volunteers Spread Christmas Cheer To Children's Hospital Patients
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Cody Colley, who is in eighth grade, dreams of sports.
He and dozens of other kids at Children's Medical Center Dallas are battling cancer right now, and won't be home for the holidays.
But the feisty "young" ladies of the Plano Garden Club, have been whipping up Christmas creations... mini trees, in hopes of mega smiles at Dallas Children's.
Stephanie's favorite color is purple. Cody also has favorites, and he found them on a tree of his liking. Cody holds his tree tightly, saying, "I like it 'cause of the Cowboys."
While the kids take their picks, sometimes the patients are in isolation, or chemotherapy treatments.
Lesli Compton of Cedar Hill found one for her 15 month old, "I pick the tree out for my daughter she is here in cancer unit and she likes pink."
The mini trees are a labor of love for Charolette Loncar, who was at this same hospital years ago, when her granddaughter Alexandra was fighting cancer. Alexandra passed away in 1997... but Charolette and her crew have returned every year, since.
"Alexandra would be very proud and very happy," Charolette says while looking upward as if to the heavens.
Frank Loncar, Charolette's son and Alexandra's dad, says the drop offs have helped them feel better through the years, "It's great therapy for us. We see the bright shining faces each year."
Charolette says she'll be back again next year in memory of Alexandra -- helping other kids and their families focus on something other than the fight of their young lives.
Penny Colley, Cody's mom, enjoys the smile it put on her son's face, "It's great that they did this. These ladies are great."
