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While she was a patient at Aspirus Keweenaw, 10 year-old Maija White turned her boredom into an idea to help others.
“I was in the ER and I only had to watch TV and I had nothing else to do” said White.
White put together 100 Smile Bags filled with different activities for kids, with the help of her mother and donations from family, community members and Shopko in Calumet.
The bags include a variety of boredom-busters like coloring books, modeling clay and puzzles, along with a letter explaining the purpose of the bag.
Med/Surg Nurse Erin Raymond said the hospital is extremely grateful for the gift.
“These Smile Bags are really important to us up here. We get children up here who we don’t always have activities for them and it’s really nice to have these coloring books and crayons and all sorts of interesting things for them to use,” said Med/Surg Nurse Erin Raymond. “It really lights up their day and makes them feel at home when we’re able to give them these things.”
In addition to making patients smile, White was given the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can receive.
“I felt good about myself and I was kind of happy that I got it over with,” said White.
She has to come up with a different project for Girl Scouts next year, but White’s gift will surely bring joy to many kids in the community.
