Family Of Lakewood Boy With Cancer Gives Back

The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation recently received a donation of a van load of toys, $45 in gift cards and $825 thanks to the thoughtfulness and generosity of a courageous Lakewood family whose son had benefitted from services provided by the Foundation.

Hudson Younge of Lakewood was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2017 just days after his third birthday. When Hudson’s mother, Shelby, saw the positive impact that selecting a toy from the Treasure Chest at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge had on her son, the entire Younge family—with incredible support from the compassionate citizens of McHenry County—launched a huge city-wide toy drive to help bring that same relief to other young cancer patients.

Hudson’s mother, Shelby said, “When our family began to brainstorm about how to pay it forward and create awareness, we decided that a toy drive would be the perfect way to do this.” Once the idea formed, Shelby contacted the Foundation, and the toy drive was born.

POTCF Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel said, “We feel so blessed to have the support of the Younge family and all of their friends in McHenry County. We are extremely grateful.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 14,600 young cancer patients in 61cancer treatment centers in 20 states across the nation and in the District of Columbia. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Colleen Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. Ms. Kisel discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 27th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of 2020.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s web site at www.treasurechest.org.