Tinley Park Resident Delivers Smiles of Joy to Children with Cancer

Frigid single-digit temperatures did not stop longtime donor Tammy Girten of Tinley Park from warming the hearts of kids fighting cancer. Tammy loaded her van with 100 pounds of toys, gifts and gift cards for children and teens undergoing treatment for cancer at Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn on behalf of the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation.

Tammy began volunteering in 2018 after learning about the mission of the Foundation from her Aunt Jane Rozdilsky. In May of 2022, Tammy Girten was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Treasure Chest Foundation. When asked about delivering the toys Tammy Girten said, “I remember the joy in the eyes of the kids when they saw me bring in the toys.”

Treasure Chest Foundation CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel said, “Tammy’s passion for the children and teens we serve is an asset to our nonprofit. Tammy is a true treasure.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 16,100 young cancer patients in 66 cancer treatment centers in 21 states across the nation and in the District of Columbia. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Colleen Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. Ms. Kisel discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 29th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of 2022.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 1-708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s website at www.treasurechest.org.