TYLER, Texas — In the spirit of giving, nurses from Christus Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital in Tyler and Smith County firefighters joined forces to make this holiday season a little brighter for the children at CASA for Kids of East Texas.
Joy filled the hospital Wednesday as members of the staff hosted their holiday toy drive.
Nina Baggett and Tess Hodges, two heart hospital nurses, and Smith County Emergency Services District No. 2 first responders worked to make sure no child is forgotten on Christmas.
“We got to infuse the spirit of Christmas, which is about gift giving and doing something kind for somebody,” Baggett said. “As a mom, this has been an amazing project to kind of show my kids that they've taken agency and picked out toys.”
The firefighters from Smith County ESD No. 2 are known for responding to emergencies,
“We have a servant's heart. We are here to help the community. that's why we exist, to help our community," Smith County ESD No. 2 Assistant Chief J.D. Smith. “This is just another way that we can benefit the community in an area that may not be so bad, such as fires or car accidents.”
Smith said he was surprised by the overwhelming response from the community, adding the East Texas community is great at helping each other out.
The initiative reached every corner of the community, with collection boxes placed at all 10 fire stations and every floor of the heart hospital.
The generosity didn't come without challenges.
“I actually came into work a few weeks ago, and one of the boxes was gone,” nurse Mariah Meenach said. “It had disappeared, and it broke my heart. I called security to try and figure out where it went. Then I came back on Monday, and it was back and filled with toys. So it was literally like Santa delivered.”
Meenach added the toy drive was extra special for her this year as she’s a new mom. The collaboration has been a huge success, with volunteers saying they’re excited for the future.