Bringing smiles to children with cancer

Jessica Freeman (left) knows the quickest way to bring a smile to a child’s face: Give him or her a new toy. That’s exactly what the high school senior has been doing for the past four years in an effort to make a difference in the lives of young cancer patients at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children.

Freeman, an eighth grader, began her project at the suggestion of a family friend who worked at the MGH. She solicited her friends and classmates to donate toys, games and stuffed animals and was met with a generous response. Using the donated materials, she created baskets for children undergoing treatment at the MGHfC. After making her first trip to the hospital to deliver the toys and seeing the uplifting impact of her work, Freeman said, “I knew that I needed to make this project an annual effort.”

Since that first trip four years ago, Freeman has continued to volunteer her time and has made a great difference in the lives of many children at the MGHfC. She is no stranger to volunteer work, having grown up in a home and school where community service is highly encouraged. “This project,” she says, “has been by far the most personal and unique.”