Tinley Park Student Sponsors “Friend of Jesus" Christmas Project

In the spirit of the season, Sophia Barrios (age 11) student at St. George School in Tinley Park is giving to children fighting cancer. The school recently sponsored a Friend of Jesus Christmas project. Sophia was given an anonymous donation of $50 and asked to give away a gift to someone in need at Christmas.

Sophia said, “I know how it feels being in the hospital. I did not have anything to do but play with toys.”

“The Treasure Chest Foundation is especially grateful to Sophia and the anonymous donor for their donation of toys,” said Ms. Kisel. “It warms my heart to imagine such an awesome project that ultimately brings in toys for kids fighting cancer.”

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.