Girl wants to replicate pleasant hospital experience for other
children
By Christopher Quirk Staff Writer
Gilroy – Emergency rooms are not places typically associated with fond memories, but for 9-year-old Jennifer Kuwabara, her experience was so warm she put her money toward giving other children the same experience.
In the main entrance area of Saint Louise Regional Hospital Wednesday, Kuwabara gave $50 cash to the hospital’s foundation. The money was earmarked to purchase toys for admitted children – an existing practice that made her three visits to the hospital a pleasant experience, she said. The fourth-grader at Las Animas Elementary School is the youngest donor in the hospital’s history and will have her name added to wall in the hospital’s donor wall when it goes up later this fall.
“Me and my wife are both very proud of her,” said father Ken Kuwabara, who was present with mother Sandy Kuwabara at the donation.
Their daughter had visited the hospital three times in recent years, including one visit to the emergency room for a dislocated elbow. At each visit, nurse Rose Wolgamott delighted her with free toys that she still has at home. The gesture was so touching to Jennifer Kuwabara that she wanted to be a part of it. She hopes that her money will help make other children’s visits to the hospital as pleasant as hers.
“I’m donating because I went to the hospital a couple few times and the these nice nurses gave me some toys,” she said. “I loved having all this stuff and I wanted to give others stuff so they know how it feels.”
While it was certainly not the biggest donation the hospital received – the typical minimum to be put up on the donor wall is $500 – it was welcome, foundation executive director Michele Averill. The donation helps hospital staff know they are making a difference, she said.
“Everybody appreciates what they do, even though they don’t hear it every day,” she said.
The Kuwabaras are no strangers to charity, having been on both sides. The Kuwabaras were graced with donations when Sandy Kuwabara battled cancer.
“People were just bringing us lunches, getting us gift cards,” Ken Kuwabara said. “It was just really, really touching.”
Now they participate in Relay for Life, a 24-hour walk to raise money for cancer research, and Jennifer Kuwabara asked that people, instead of giving her presents for her birthday last Friday, donate to Relay for Life. The cycle of giving and being given to is an important part of life and something that the Kuwabaras have successfully striven to teach their daughter, Ken Kuwabara said.
“I guess we kind of showed her that other people need help and sometimes we need help too,” he said. “It pays off to help out.”
