8-Year-Old Leukemia Patient Receives Hundreds of Greeting Cards
A Simple Note Can Be the Best Medicine
At Ronald McDonald House Charities there are lots of ways to get involved. Sometimes the smallest gesture goes the longest way for a child staying at a Ronald McDonald House while he or she receives treatment at a nearby hospital.
For 8-year-old Zachary Wyman, a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at St. Jude Children's Hospital and a guest at the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis, it was personalized messages on greeting cards that were sent to him to make things a little better.
"I'm sending you these smiles to brighten your day." Zach thoughtfully reads the handwritten words from a greeting card that he recently received and, despite a day's worth of treatment, he smiles from ear to ear. This is just one of his cards—there are hundreds throughout his room at the Ronald McDonald House, sent to him from places around the world, as far away as Germany and France. The cards started pouring in after his friends and family, including two police officers from Middleton, Tenn., started a Facebook page asking people to send Zach letters to lift his spirits as he fought cancer.
Word spread quickly into police departments around the country and the letters followed. Zach even got a special visit from the chief of the Memphis Police Department who handed him a special coin—a challenge coin. "I don't give this to everybody," the chief said. "I'm giving this to you. My challenge is for you to hang in there and get better."
How You Can Help
RMHC programs, like the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis, are known for giving children and families a network of support to help them cope and heal. But the strength and hope of RMHC extends far beyond the walls of one House and into a global system of support. You can be a part of it by including RMHC in your estate plans or by planning a smart gift today.
Your contribution will ensure that children like Zach are equipped with the support and vital resources they need to get better and stay healthy and happy. Contact Lacee O’Brien at 630-623-7048 or lacee.obrien@us.mcd.com to discuss your options.
Questions about ways to give through a planned gift?
Contact Lacee O’Brien at 630-623-7048 or lacee.obrien@us.mcd.com