Hey Interactors of D5170! Let me introduce myself, my name is Shirley Hao and I am a sophomore at Gilroy Early College Academy (GECA) (Area 9). Now lets back up to mid December. My parents asked me what I wanted to do for my 16th birthday. They told me that I could do whatever I wanted, a party, a trip to LA, ect. I chose to have a Sweet Sixteen party but I knew I didnt just want myself to benefit from this day. Sure I was turning 16, and a birthday is supposed to be celebrating the birthday kid and them maturing. What about the people who are in the hospital fighting for their life? There is an endless number of children who are in the hospital who do not even get to the age of 16. This exact thought came to my mind and I knew exactly what I wanted to do about it. I told my guests either beforehand or at the party that I was going to donate all my gifts to Stanford Childrens Hospital (Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital Stanford). I had emailed the people at LPCHS to let them know my plan. I was a girl who was turning 16 with blessings. I have a roof over my head, a mother and father who care about me, a brother who supports me, friends who I appreciate deeply, and INTERACT! Now lets flash forward to Dec 31. I had finally given the hospital a final count on all the gifts I was ready to donate, got in the car with my family, and drove all the way from Gilroy to Palo Alto. Not very far, I know, but I only have my permit. I walked in with 2 large bags of gifts into the hospital with pride and it was one of the most humbling experiences. I saw expecting mothers ready to go and families awaiting for an endless possibilities of results. Now as you can imagine a girl carrying 2 large bags can be a little sketchy, and I am not going to lie, some people gave me dirty looks about it! But then I walked up to the desk and the man who looked at me just smiled. He simply asked if I was donating all these gifts and I said yes! His face was filled with joy to see a younger lady donating gifts and that one smile made my whole year. I knew from that moment after that what I was doing was worth it! I wasnt getting any physical gifts, but I knew a child NEEDED that smile and gift WAY more than I ever did. The thing that I needed to know all day was that someone else was going to feel the happiness I feel everyday. I am no one special, I am just a girl from Gilroy hoping someone else ends up happy too. Now I guess the thing that I wanted to let all you interactors of D5170 know is that no matter if you are just one individual, small group, or something as large as Interact, YOU can make a difference in someones life. LOVE FROM A9
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 04:02:44 +0000
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