Kamryn Reilly has always had a giving heart and she’s always loved to read. So for her eighth birthday, she decided to do something that involved both.
Rather than gifts, Kamryn asked her guests to bring books to her birthday party Sunday. Her parents contributed some books, too. And on Wednesday, Kamryn delivered a box of 37 children’s books to the emergency department at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. The hospital’s nurses will distribute the books to their young patients.
Kamryn’s goal?
“Just to take their mind off of being sick or hurt,” she said.
Familiar distraction
When Kamryn was 5, her younger sister Sydney, who was 2 years old at the time, split her chin open and needed stitches. The family ended up in the emergency room at Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland.
Kamryn was playing with the toys in the waiting room, but what she really wanted was a book. They tracked down a book, and Kamryn focused on it, rather than the hustle and bustle of the emergency room, said Colette Reilly, Kamryn’s mom.
“She doesn’t remember any of the experience, and I think it was because of the book,” Colette Reilly said. “It was something that was familiar to her.”
Generosity
Kamryn comes from a family of philanthropy, Colette Reilly said, but it’s often difficult to find volunteer opportunities for children. So the family came up with the idea of collecting and donating books. Colette Reilly works at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, and the family’s past experience at Randall made the hospital’s emergency department a logical choice.
“She wanted to help at mommy’s hospital,” Colette Reilly said.
And the staff at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center was happy to receive the donation. Visiting an emergency department with children can be stressful and mean long waits for test results, said Kelly Love, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center spokeswoman.
“For the children and the families, it’s a really welcome distraction,” Love said of the books. “And it’s a lovely gift from Kamryn.”
After delivering the books, Kamryn picked out a couple to hand deliver to children in the emergency department on Wednesday afternoon.
She chose a “Splat the Cat” book for a 6-year-old boy, and picked out a board book, “Ladybug Girl Plays,” for 9-week-old Lucy Pimentel. Both families were grateful for Kamryn’s gift and impressed with her generosity.
“So instead of getting gifts, you’re giving?” asked Cammy Torres, Lucy’s mom. “That’s nice.”
Kamryn walked out of each hospital room with a big smile. Giving felt good, she said.
“It was great to see the smile on her face,” Colette Reilly said. “Hopefully it will spark her interest in giving to the community.”
