An 8-year-old who has been battling leukemia for almost half of his life is going to celebrate the first Christmas he can remember without being sick. But instead of focusing on his battles, Dawson Babiak is going to make sure kids who are stuck in hospital beds will have a happy holiday.
Dawson was declared in remission after having his last chemotherapy treatment for an aggressive form of leukemia earlier this year, WOOD reported.
Over the course of the past four years and his fight against the illness, Dawson was so sick that he had muscle loss after being confined to his hospital bed.
At one point a child life specialist brought him a pack of window markers. The markers prompted him to get out of the bed to draw on the windows. That was the moment his family decided to collect gifts to help inspire other young patients to get out of bed and keep fighting their illnesses, according to WOOD.
They wanted to collect about $300 worth of toys, but each year the goal, and donations, grew. This year the donations grew to the pont they filled a bus with thousands of toys for patients at Helen Devos Children’s Hospital, thanks to the Hopkins community.
Dawson's father, Jason Babiak calls their hometown "a small town with a big heart," he told the television station.
The toys are delivered to the hospital by student leaders from the local school, who then spend time in the hospital learning about the patients and why the toys are important to them, WOOD reported.
The family plans to keep the tradition of the toy drive and giveaway going. To help and to see what is on the hospital's wish list for their young patients, click here.
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