Nursing club members Bobbijo Ceniceros, President Kyndal Simpson, Eliana Rivera and Vice President Brianna Hicks prepare to distribute nearly 80 Scentsy Buddies to children at Wesley Hospital.
The Hesston College Nursing Club recently completed a heartwarming donation drive, delivering nearly 80 Scentsy buddies to pediatric patients at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. The initiative was fueled by the club’s deep compassion for others and their desire to make a positive impact on children undergoing medical treatment.
During the first nursing club meeting of the academic year, the group discussed ways to do something special for the kids at Wesley Medical Center, one of their clinical sites. Several club members have personal experiences that brought this concept to fruition.
“We spent time reflecting on our time as a pediatric patient or caring for pediatric patients, and ultimately decided these children in the pediatric units at Wesley could use some joy,” explains Brianna Hicks, nursing club vice president. “We then thought what better way to bring a smile to children’s faces than a stuffed animal — because who doesn’t love stuffed animals?”
The drive aimed to brighten the days of children in the hospital’s pediatric areas including the intensive care unit (ICU), emergency room (ER), sedation and general floors. Throughout October, club members worked together to collect donations which included clip-on buddies, blanket buddies, smaller-sized plush toys and larger full-size buddies. These donations were then distributed by nursing club members in early December, ensuring each child in the pediatric units received a Scentsy buddy to comfort them during their hospital stay.
“My favorite part of the activity was just seeing the children’s faces light up,” Hicks shares. “We were able to hand deliver each and every buddy, and that made the experience even more special in my opinion. Watching their faces light up because of what we had given them was priceless. Truly something so small, like a stuffed animal, can bring so much happiness to a child who has been in the hospital. It gives them something ‘good’ to bring out of their hospital stay.”
In addition to the Scentsy buddy donations, the nursing club used funds raised during the drive to support another cause. The club adopted a young girl from a nearby community who is battling incurable, inoperable brain cancer.
“We were able to come together and buy gifts for this little girl,” Hicks says. “We were also able to provide a cash donation with the money used from the Scentsy fundraiser to help the family with medical bills or plan a special vacation. The smile on her face when gifts were delivered was priceless, and her family was very thankful we chose them for our special Christmas donation.”
The Scentsy buddy donation drive is a new initiative for the nursing club, but it’s one Hicks and fellow members are excited to continue in the years to come.
“This is the first time the nursing club has done an activity like this,” says Hicks, “but I think it is one we will be doing next year and hopefully for years to come.”