Mega Doctor News
This week, thousands of Rio Grande Valley children will likely be celebrating the holidays with their loved ones. Unfortunately, it’s a completely different experience for sick children requiring hospitalization.
Instead of enjoying a holiday meal, attending religious services or being out about town with their extended family and friends, they’ll be confined to a hospital bed with limited interaction with loved ones.
But a former South Texas Health System Children’s patient is ensuring pediatric patients in the hospital’s care don’t completely miss out on the excitement of Christmas.
On Saturday, December 21, 15-year-old Isaac Garza dropped off hundreds of toys, books and other gifts collected during his monthlong Isaac’s Angels Toy Drive.
“This is our ninth year hosting this drive, and it just keeps getting bigger and better each year,” says Isaac, who knows firsthand how nerve-racking being hospitalized can be, especially during the holiday season.
In 2016, at age 7, Isaac was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a condition that mainly affects children and causes inflammation in the artery walls and affects blood flow to the heart. He spent 60 days at a hospital in San Antonio for life-saving treatment following a near-death episode. Each day, he received at least one toy from the facility’s Child Life department, which brought him some joy and much-needed distraction during his stay.
Nine years later, Isaac still recalls the sense of relief that came over him months after his release from the hospital. It was them that he vowed to bring the same positive distraction he experienced to other kids hospitalized during the holidays at the San Antonio facility. The following year, he launched another holiday toy drive, this time for the patients at STHS Children’s, where would go for follow-up visits with his doctor, as well as any required imaging and lab work.
“Isaac has never forgotten all the nurses, doctors and the friends he made while he was hospitalized,” said Laura Gomez-Garza, Isaac’s mother. “At 7 years old, he was so determined to go back and give a toy to every child, and his enthusiasm for this drive only grows with each passing year.”
In late November, Isaac and his family, who launched the non-profit organization Isaac’s Angels Toy Drive to maximize the impact of his holiday toy drives, began collecting toys at 24 donation sites across the Rio Grande Valley. In total, he amassed 1,620 toys, books and gifts, breaking his previous record of 1,600 items collected in a single year.
“I really hope that these toys, books and other gifts serve as a welcome distraction and provide these kids with a little joy this Christmas,” says Isaac.
Escorted by state troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Isaac, his mom and brother arrived at STHS Children’s on Saturday, December 21 in a 20-foot U-Haul filled with boxes of stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, Matchbox cars, books and more.
After unloading the moving truck, Isaac and dozens of his Isaac’s Angels ambassadors and volunteers visited patient rooms, going door to door bringing smiles to the faces of the hospitalized kids with every gift they distributed.
“This has truly become a wonderful tradition that our family, friends and ambassadors look forward to every year,” says Isaac’s mom. “Nine years in! In that time, we’ve donated close to 10,000 toys – that’s an amazing accomplishment, and what makes it even better is that this is all kids helping kids! I’m so proud of Isaac and what he’s been able to accomplish at such an early age.”
Even though the 2024 holiday season isn’t over yet, Isaac is already thinking about next year’s toy drive. For the milestone 10th anniversary, he’s determined to collect 2,000 toys.
“There’s no doubt that Isaac is an angel among us, a young man bringing smiles and hope to hospitalized kids at STHS Children’s not just during the holidays, but well into the New Year. Each year, his massive donation alone allows us to bring joy to sick children well past Valentine’s Day,” says Lance Ames, Chief Executive Officer, STHS Children’s & STHS Edinburg. “We’re extremely grateful for Isaac’s generous and heartfelt efforts to make a hospital stay less stressful for both patients and parents. He’ll forever be a member of the STHS Children’s family.”
To learn more about Isaac’s story, visit the STHS YouTube page. If you’re interested in learning more about Isaac’s Toy Drive, contact Isaac via his public Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068982248965.
