Her Gift Made Seniors Cry: Teen Girl Gives Special Holiday Donations

HACKENSACK, NJ — Samantha “Sammy” Raia, 17, of Saddle River, lost her grandmother to pancreatic cancer four years ago. So she wanted to do something for other senior cancer patients for the holidays.

Each year, she creates "care kits" for seniors going through treatments at the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center.

"Some of the patients started to cry. They were so grateful. Many were having infusions so they felt cold, so they really appreciated the pretty blankets that were in the bags," said Mary McGeever, a spokesperson for the hospital, this week.

The packages contain a blanket, snacks, socks, towels, and lip balm. Raia delivered them on Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

"The holiday season is all about giving, but that generous spirit is often eclipsed by Black Friday and Cyber Monday’s mad rush for deals," McGeever noted. "Giving Tuesday was created to once again shine a light on organizations and people giving back."

Raia is a senior at Immaculate Heart Academy in Bergen County. But she'll be graduating next year and heading to college, so she's looking for teens and other volunteers to eventually take over the job of creating the kits.

The kits are meant to "provide a more comfortable hospital stay for patients in treatment and recovery for all kinds of cancers. The towels, socks, and blankets help patients going through chemotherapy stay comfy and warm during their treatments. Lip balm helps the inevitably chapped lips that come with chemotherapy."

Teens and others who want to help can get involved via the Surprise and Delight Committee at the John Theurer Cancer Center.

Teens can reach out to the director, Kathy Roupenian, at kathleen.roupenian@hmhn.org.