A four-year-old boy with leukemia has dropped off more than 400 bags of Christmas presents at the children’s hospitals where he received care.
Elliott Hole and his mother Harley decided to give back by distributing advent calendars and and other fun items to keep sick kids entertained through the holidays
The mom in Kent, England, set up an Amazon Wishlist so that members of her community could purchase gifts, and they ended up with 346 items for tucking into party bags, including chocolate, games, bubbles, stickers, stationary, and more.
The family then dropped them off in crates to three local hospitals: the Royal Marsden in Sutton, Kings College in London, and Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough.
“From what I have experienced, you are stuck in a room and unable to leave because of viruses and it gets very boring,” Harley, who is a hairdresser by trade, told SWNS news.
“The reception from the patients was brilliant. The nurses were all amazed by how much there was. We wheeled in this huge crate of presents.”
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“I stopped counting when we got to 400 but I would say in total we did about 440, as well as over 100 calendars.”
Harley first noticed something was wrong with Elliott in January 2022, when he had starting limping. They took him to the hospital where some blood tests were done, and three days later they were told he had Acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Elliott then started a three-year treatment plan, that entails daily chemotherapy, which will end in March.
“I sometimes forget what we have been through. When I hear other families’ stories, I think ‘wow that’s awful’—then I remember that we are that family too.
“When he was first diagnosed, we basically lived between Kings, Marsden, and Darent Valley Hospital for the first four months. Now, I need to be on hold for Elliott at all times, because if his temperature spikes we need to get him to Kings within the hour.
“He is a very kind little boy. He is quite outgoing. Considering everything that he has been through you would never think that anything was ever up. He is quite strong willed—and just powers through.”
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Harley says that receiving a gift bag like this would have meant a lot to Elliott and herself at the peak of his treatment.
“The kids love it, and it is nice to know that people are with you, standing alongside you.
“The community has been amazing. It was heartwarming to see how many people got involved.”
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As Elliott approaches the end of his treatment he is beginning to take part in more hobbies and has just started playing soccer.
Harley says she is thrilled that her son is finishing treatment: “It is a milestone that obviously not all children get to reach.”
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What a wonderful story!!!
Keep that strong will, young man! And thank you for thinking of others.