The gift of Hannah. (original) (raw)
Any motorist who drove through Cherokee County during the last dozen or so months will remember roadside signs with a simple message, �Pray for Hannah.�
Hannah was Hannah Collie of Alto, a brave little girl who touched the hearts of thousands of people while her own heart struggled to keep her alive.
Her laughing eyes and quick smile left a remarkable legacy, not only in Cherokee County, but in East Texas and Dallas.
Regrettably, Hannah lost her battle and passed away in September of 2009.
But each December, on the eighth floor of the Children�s Medical Center in Dallas, where Hannah was a cardiac patient, thousands of children�s toys swamp the floor as people respond to a request by Hannah�s parents, Jason and Amanda Collie, who started the �Hannah�s Heart Toy Drive.�
This year, the Collie family drove more than $2,200 worth of toys donated by people during one of the worst economic recessions in recent history.
The gifts were piled so high in the Collie�s SUV that they could barely see out of the back window.
For one family, that of Terrie Gonzalez, a writer for the Rusk Cherokeean-Herald, Hannah�s heart troubles brought back personal memories. Her own child Chris underwent a six-hour surgery at Children�s Medical Center to repair a thoracic birth defect.
Two days before Chris� surgery, he was taken to a toy room next to the recovery room and asked to pick out a special toy which would be waiting or him after he awoke from surgery.
Chris picked out a toy car and asked for it as soon as he awoke from his surgery.
Today, little Red Wagons are used to deliver toys donated in Hannah�s memory throughout the hospital. They are also used to transmit children to treatment rooms. Kids would much rather ride in a red wagon than a wheel chair.
April 4, 2011 Column.
A weekly column syndicated in 109 East Texas newspapersRelated Topics:
Stories From Texas' Past | Texas |