Nathan Heredia hasn’t always spent the Christmas holidays surrounded by family and friends.
Three years ago, Heredia was a leukemia patient hooked up to IVs in the isolation unit at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto. The then 3-year-old’s spirits were lifted when he awoke Christmas morning to a surprise heap of toys arranged at the edge of his bed. The items were donated from people in the community.
“Someone did that for us a few years ago, and I personally know how much it touched us,” said Nathan’s mother Lina Perez.
Last year, Ann Zyburra and Adam Sanchez – the owners of Milias Restaurant where Perez worked as a pastry chef – hosted a toy drive and brunch in Nathan’s honor.
They plan to repeat the event this weekend to benefit more children who will be spending Christmas inside the Lucile Packard Hospital.
The Milias Restaurant will hold a Santa Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday. To partake in the drive, guests are asked to bring an unwrapped gift for a girl or boy between the ages of infant and 16. Toys can be dropped off by Sunday at the latest.
During the brunch, children can get their photos taken with Santa and enjoy a free breakfast from a special menu. Kids 12 and under eat free when ordering from the special menu.
“The best part of helping this little boy with his Christmas wish again this year is that Nathan is cancer free,” wrote Sanchez via email. “He has had his chemo port removed and our prayers are being said for him to stay cancer free.”
While Nathan is cancer free, he hasn’t forgotten the time he spent in hospitals. Ever since his diagnosis in August 2010, the child has faced tear-inducing chemotherapy shots in his spine, strong dosages of steroid medication, high fevers, infections and developmental therapy.
“I’m going to go to my hospital and I’m going to share with the kids there because they’re sad,” he said.
Nathan was hospitalized the night of Dec. 23, 2010 when he came down with a fever.
Perez, a single mother of four, knew her family wouldn’t be having the cozy Christmas cuddled around the tree she planned for.
Like most worried mothers would do when caring for a child with cancer, Perez left her three other children with her parents and spent the night with Nathan in the hospital on Christmas Eve.
“As a mother, I just know the feeling of being at the hospital on Christmas morning, and I know how good waking up to toys made (my son) feel,” she said.
While most children can sleep off a fever with Tylenol and homemade chicken noodle soup, a trip to the emergency room was mandatory because of Nathan’s fragile condition.
So the little boy was happy to wake to presents in the morning. His favorite gift was a talking Woody doll from the “Toy Story” films. Little did the gift giver know, Nathan was a “Toy Story” fanatic, and the life-size doll made him ecstatic. He spent the rest of the day wearing his “Toy Story” pajamas and cuddling with his new doll as nurses monitored his vitals and blood count levels every hour.
This year, it’s a little different – and Nathan plans to be home for Christmas.
“This is a particularly joyful occasion because Nathan is cancer free this year and we are all particularly pleased with that,” said Zyburra.
-To partake in the drive, bring an unwrapped gift for a girl or boy between the ages of infant and 16 to the Milias Restaurant in downtown Gilroy by Sunday or participate in the Santa Brunch.
Santa Brunch
– Children can bring an unwrapped present to the restaurant from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and get their photos taken with Santa while they enjoy a free breakfast from a special menu.
