Local Girl Celebrates Her Birthday By Giving Back To Hunterdon Medical Center

Published May 19, 2008

Rebecca of Stewartsville decided to make her seventh birthday all about giving back to the community.  Just a few months prior to her March 12th birthday, Rebecca visited the Emergency Department at Hunterdon Medical Center because of injuries she sustained from a sledding accident.  "When I was being treated, the nurses gave me a stuffed koala bear and it really helped to make me feel better and not as scared," explained Rebecca.  So, for her seventh birthday she asked her friends to bring a new stuffed animal to her birthday party that she would donate to Hunterdon Medical Center in lieu of gifts for herself.

Rebecca donated twenty-four stuffed animals that will be given out to children who visit the Emergency Department at Hunterdon Medical Center.  "Visiting the hospital can be stressful on a child.  We began giving out new stuffed animals about two years ago to help comfort children and also elderly patients too," explained Rob Church, BSN, MSN, Director of Emergency Services at Hunterdon Medical Center.  In addition to her donation to the hospital, Rebecca donated 12 inches of her hair to Locks of Love.  "My birthday was all about donating this year," stated Rebecca.