Sumter families team up to help other children hospitalized during Christmas, raise money through local business
The family of a young boy fighting cancer and the father of a girl who died from a genetic condition are teaming up to help brighten Christmas for other young patients after learning each other's stories.
In the late summer months, a young Dalzell boy who is on hospice care during treatment for a rare cancer wanted to make the days brighter for other children in the hospital going through similar situations. Logan Moseley and his family started a toy drive to benefit the children staying at Prisma Health Children's Hospital-Midlands.
Now, his mother said the family has chosen to not continue chemotherapy treatment for adrenocortical carcinoma under the guidance of his medical team to give him the best quality of life his family can. Despite everything Logan has been through in his five years, he still wants to put smiles on the faces of other kids who need care during the holidays.
Megan Moseley said Logan knows "Santa never skips the children's hospital, but sometimes he needs help from us because all of the gifts may not fit in his sleigh because there's a lot of kids there."
With that in mind, this holiday season, Megan said the family is teaming up with a local business to help with just that and more.
The Moseley family met The Man Haven barber shop owner Joseph Marra during haircuts for Logan and his father, David. In talking to Marra, they learned his daughter, Salem, was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, was treated at the same hospital Logan received treatments, and she has passed away. Her father is raising money for two foundations by donating $1 from each haircut to Camp Kemo programs and the Mito Foundation, split evenly, and the shop is now also a dropoff location for the Moseleys' toy drive.
"Donations of wrapping supplies are also appreciated, especially gift bags," Megan said.
The Moseleys' toy drive has changed slightly since summer, to help parents of children who will be staying at the hospital during Christmas give their children as happy a holiday as possible. Megan explained the hospital holds a Holiday Market each year, free to parents of patients, where the parents can choose toys that the staff then wraps and distributes. To help fulfill the needs of that market, the Moseleys are asking the community to donate toys, snacks and other supplies through online wish lists. The items can be dropped off at The Man Haven or sent through the wish lists' address.
Megan said for the annual market, "Donations have been down this year. They especially need items for babies and toddlers like interactive toys and tummy time mats, and teens such as headphones and gift cards."
The wish lists now reflect those needs, so they have changed since the family's summer toy drive for the hospital.
The family hopes to be able to provide more donations before the market, which will be held Dec. 22. Megan's last trip to the hospital to drop off any donations will be Wednesday, Dec. 17, but the toy drive will run through Christmas.
Logan said bringing toys to the hospital makes him "smile and laugh because I know how fun toys are, and the other kids will love playing with them like I do."
The families hope local businesses will donate larger items from the lists and that local churches can help the drive with individually wrapped snack donations like chips and Capri Sun for children undergoing treatment. Snacks are now on the wishlist, too.
After the two families became friends, Megan said they knew they "wanted to do something to help other local families with children that are treated at Prisma Health. We both noticed a great need for things."
The families agreed that despite the difficult circumstances their children have faced, they will spend the rest of their lives trying to help others and have asked the community to help them in their mission.
WANT TO DONATE?
Shop through the Target wish list at https://tinyurl.com/yk9je2wn.
Shop through the Amazon wish list at https://tinyurl.com/y6u5bsd8.
The address will autofill to the Moseley family's home, where they will collect donations and take them to Prisma Health Children's Hospital-Midlands. Donations from the list can also be dropped off at The Man Maven, 1313 Peach Orchard Road in Sumter. Donations of wrapping paper and gift bags can also be dropped off at the barber shop. Please call ahead at (803) 294-0314 if dropping off larger items.