Holcomb student donates Halloween treats to hospitalized children

Whitney Miller, 10, presents Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center Pediatrics Director April Moody with Halloween activity packets for hospitalized children. Whitney, a fourth grader from Holcomb, Mo. is the daughter of Jason and Melanie Miller of Kennett. [Click to enlarge]

KENNETT, Mo.--While other kids were trick-or-treating on Halloween night, thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of a local 10-year-old, pediatric patients at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center received a special treat.

For the past couple of weeks, most kids have been looking forward to donning their Halloween costumes and collecting candy. Instead of anticipating the treats she would receive, Whitney Miller, worried how others kids might be spending their holiday.

Particularly, the fourth grader from Holcomb, thought of kids who were sick and spending Halloween night in the hospital. Her awareness of the needs hospitalized children was a result of her little brother Luke's experience as a patient.

With this in mind she asked her parents, neighbors and employees at her dad's work to save aluminum cans. She then collected cans from them each week. After she collected enough cans to cash them in, she set about making Halloween fun packs.

"Whitney wanted to make a difference," said Melanie Miller, her mother. "Instead of the money burning a hole in her pocket for the latest toy at Wal-Mart, she only thought of what might be fun for the kids here at the hospital."

"Her thoughtfulness is overwhelming," says hospital Pediatrics Director April Moody. "You can tell Whitney put a lot of time and effort into the packets, there is something for each age group including the babies."