Jordyn Perez was about to turn 8 years old when her mom suggested a new way to celebrate her birthday. “What would you think about donating your gifts to a children’s hospital?” her mom said. Jordyn wasn’t sure. She gave it some thought. “Okay, that’s cool,” she said. “I already had everything I needed. And these kids that were going through things at the hospital — they needed it more than I did.” Now Jordyn is a freshman in high school. She continues to bring joy to kids being treated for serious illnesses. In December, she made her eighth annual birthday-gift donation to Baptist Children’s Hospital.
Jordyn’s gift drives kick off each year in November. She sends her friends invitations to her birthday party. The invitations list gift ideas for kids at the hospital. These include blocks and toy trains. “And for the teenagers,” Jordyn says, “it might be nail polish or books.” Jordyn also shares the list with family, coaches, and teammates. (She plays volleyball and runs track.) “The number of donations grows every year,” she says. “We measure how much of the carpet it covers in our living room. Last year, it covered the entire carpet.” Then it’s time to share the gifts with kids at the hospital. “Seeing other people’s ▲ — that’s all that matters to me,” Jordyn says.
Natalie Gutierrez works at Baptist Children’s Hospital. She has seen firsthand the effect of Jordyn’s gift-giving. “She puts smiles on the faces of these little patients in our hospital and on our nurses and staff,” Gutierrez says. “They are all amazed at her generosity.” Jordyn has inspired others to follow in her footsteps. Friends have collected and donated gifts for their birthdays. Her 11-year-old twin sisters help animals by donating to the Humane Society. “Giving to others, it’s just a good feeling to have at the end of the day,” Jordyn says. “I want to keep doing this as long as I can.”
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