WORCESTER, Mass. — A Worcester boy whose request for Christmas cards in the hospital went viral last year is paying it forward this holiday season by hosting a virtual toy drive for children in need.
“Can you send me… some Christmas cards, please?” then six-year-old Carlos Rolon said in a video from Boston Children’s Hospital last December as he waited for a new heart.
Generous strangers from all over the world sent not only thousands of cards but also presents for Carlos, brightening his holiday away from home.
[ 6-year-old boy receives gift of life after 4 years on heart transplant list ]
In April, Carlos, who was born with a heart abnormality, received his donor heart following a four-year wait, and, after months in the hospital, he finally returned home to his family.
This year, as he celebrates Christmas at home, now-seven-year-old Carlos and his mother, Sheena Cossette, are encouraging others to donate a toy online through a Worcester Interfaith virtual toy drive in Carlos’s name.
“The main reason I wanted to do the toy drive is to be able to pay it forward,” Cossette said. “I remember the feeling of being down and out and how much somebody else thinking of my child brought happiness to him. And if we can bring happiness to another child in need, it would be a true blessing.”
[ Thousands of strangers send cards, gifts to boy awaiting heart transplant ]
Since receiving his new heart, Carlos is healthier than ever. While doctors recently found an issue with his pulmonary veins during a regular check-up, Cossette told Boston 25 News the family knew it was a possibility before his surgery and said they can tackle any obstacle that comes their way.
Asked how he feels now, Carlos told Boston 25 News Monday, “fifty-thousand happy.”
Carlos has been running and playing video games with his siblings, as if he never missed a beat.
“A true blessing,” Cossette said. “No words could ever describe how happy.”
[ Worcester child returns home after 8-month hospital stay ]
Simply being home and healthy is the greatest gift Carlos and his family could have ever hoped for.
For a little boy who knows more about giving and gratitude than most adults, Carlos understands he is home because of the ultimate present he received – the gift of life, a heart from another little boy of the same age.
Sean Michael Bridges lost his life in a March car accident. His family made the selfless decision to donate his organs and save not only Carlos’s life but other children’s, too.
“I want to say thank you,” Carlos said.
To help Carlos bring joy to children in need, you can donate a toy here.
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