It Was More Than A Rock
While hospitalized, a random act of kindness
changed the way I look at giving and has brought me immense joy.
One might not think that something as small as a Lego® could have a lasting impact on your life, but believe it or not, this is what has happened to me. Growing up in a family that loved Lego® brick sets, I always thought it was weird that I was never too interested. Every birthday, Christmas, and random shopping trip, my siblings would ask my parents if we could buy them. After all these years, I still didn’t understand the fascination, but a random Monday in September changed this for me forever.
In the early fall of 2023, Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C. became my temporary home. My stay at the hospital came as a surprise to me and my family, and was brought on due to my low heart rate and blood pressure levels. I was taken into the ER, and after 21 hours of monitoring and testing, I was moved to my own room, where I was to stay until told otherwise. As a highly active person who is constantly on the move adventuring, hanging with friends, or playing sports, being still for all this time was something foreign and very uncomfortable for me. After four challenging days spent in the same spot, I was finally given permission to leave my room for the first time. Being an optimist, I wanted to make some positive memories out of this negative time, so I chose to go to the healing garden which is a deck in the hospital filled with peaceful things such as flowers and a waterfall that brings comfort and joy to patients. On this particular day, a group of nurses and activity coordinators had an arts and crafts table set up for the patients.
After just minutes of being in the garden, a bubbly team member with the most infectious smile asked if I would be interested in painting rocks. I immediately accepted this offer and began painting a few rocks with her. Because fall was beginning, I decided to decorate one of the rocks full of festive items to show my love and spirit for the season. When she saw this, her face lit up, and she shared that she had the perfect thing for me. She went inside, and when she returned, she came back with an 812 piece Lego® cornucopia gift!
This act of kindness changed the way I looked at giving. She taught me that genuine kindness is out there, and that just one small act can truly change a person’s mood, day, and life. My stay at the hospital had felt like being in the dark, but receiving this gift was a light that truly helped brighten that time for me. Something was sparked in me that day and I realized I wanted to be able to help others feel the joy that I got to experience during a scary time. A passion for giving back was born. Just under a year later, I created this organization called “Sets4Smiles” that donates Lego® sets and other toy sets to children’s hospitals in the Washington DC metro area including Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
Giving back the way that I was given to is such a fulfilling feeling that brings me immense joy. Being able to make a difference in someone’s day is what I believe is my calling in life. Although being hospitalized had felt like the end of the world, it helped me to find this new passion.
Vision
To encourage and inspire others to share in the gift of giving.
Mission
We brighten kids’ days by collecting donations of Lego® bricks, toy sets, and money to give back to children’s hospitals.