It was just a sticker book, but Sophia Megan says it sparked her to help thousands of sick children | 24CA News

Sophia Megan was solely two years outdated when she was identified with leukemia. Now she’s a 12-year-old most cancers survivor and creator of the Super Sophia Project, which goals to supply consolation and hope to different youngsters in hospital.

Sophia, of Pickering, Ont., says an expertise she had as she fought most cancers impressed her.

She was being handled on the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto when a custodian gave her a sticker ebook.

“It just made me so happy and gave me so much joy even though it’s such a little thing,” she advised CBC.

Sophia was identified with leukemia, a most cancers of the blood cells and one of the vital frequent cancers in youngsters youthful than 15. She beat it, however by no means forgot the custodian’s kindness. 

Remembering how she felt receiving that small reward made her need to do the identical for others. The thought developed right into a plan to gather donations of clothes, stuffed animals, video games and different small objects to assist brighten life for others dealing with lengthy hospital stays.

Sophia began the undertaking in 2016. With assist from her household and volunteers, she has crammed 30,000 love packing containers full of donated toys, garments and messages of hope which might be given to youngsters in hospitals within the Greater Toronto Area, Durham Region and in some northern components of Canada. This yr, she hopes the undertaking will ship one other 5,000 packing containers to hospitals.

“[It’s for] all kids in hospitals who are sick or just in there for surgery or anything,” Sophia advised CBC’s Heather Hiscox.

“There’s so much love in the boxes.” 

The love-based undertaking helps counter a tragic loss. Sophia misplaced her personal father — Jim Megan — in 2019. He was identified with most cancers and died that very same yr, on the age of 48.

Each yr, the Megans accumulate donations to assist fill the packing containers that volunteers assist ship in winter.

Volunteer Suzie Traikos Leung helps load up love packing containers heading to hospitals. She offers her power to this charity as a result of it is small — and he or she sees her work doing good.

“This is the only charity that I’m involved in,” mentioned Traikos Leung. “This goes from you to the child and you see the impact. It’s incredible.”

Shipments of tons of of the colorful packing containers headed out to dozens of hospitals this week. Staff — like Morgan Livingstone — welcome the deliveries and describe what it is like to look at a sick child mild up after they get to open a love field stuffed with actions and treasures.

“The reaction is just pure magic, seeing the joy on their faces after they’ve been stuck in bed not feeling well. To open the box, to look at all the incredible toys and activities in there, it really provides normalization in an abnormal environment,” mentioned Livingstone, a licensed baby life specialist who works at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto.

Sophia mentioned she will get notes from households who obtain the packing containers who’re grateful for the teddy bears, treats and hopeful ideas inside.

“I just want everyone to be kind to everyone and spread as much love as they can. It’s so wonderful that people are like, hey, I filled the box and now I’m in the hospital getting one. So it just goes full circle. It’s really nice,” she mentioned.

The custodian who gave Sophia the sticker ebook that impressed her continues to be in her ideas. Now that she is powerful and eight years freed from most cancers, she mentioned she generally wonders the place he’s, as he seems to have retired. She hopes to thank him someday.

“I am not sure he has any idea how much of an impact he made to this charity.”