MAHONING TOWNSHIP -- It's been almost three years since a little girl from Hazleton lost her battle with cancer, but on Thursday, her memory lived on through her annual toy drive at Janet Weis Children's Hospital.
Box after box after box was unloaded and carried into Janet Weis Children's Hospital near Danville. All of the boxes were stuffed with toys -- about $8,000 worth.
It all started with Audrianna Bartol of Hazleton. Audrianna was a patient at Janet Weis on and off for about four years while she battled Neuroblastoma, a form a childhood cancer.
"What we did was everybody who was going to buy her something bought her gifts to hand out on the oncology floor to her friends. That started this whole thing," Angela Bartol said.
And so, "Audrianna's Wish" was born. Each year her family and friends collect toys and bring them to the hospital.
Before Audrianna passed away in 2013, she made her family promise to continue the toy drive. Many of the toys were collected by volunteers like Sandra Heim of Orwigsburg. Her son Eddie is now cancer free. The family met Audrianna at Janet Weis.
"We spent holidays in the hospital as well and you want to give back. There were people who helped us and tried to make the holidays easier for us so we just try to do the same for others," Heim said.
Hospital staff members say it was a bittersweet day, as many of them knew Audrianna.
"Every time Audrianna came in for some kind of procedure that she needed to be sedated for, I was with her to use all of our donations basically to keep her comfortable," Maggie Heimbuch said.
This isn't just a toy drive. Audrianna's mom also organized a luncheon, so patients, their families and hospital employees could have a good meal.
"What do you think Audrianna would say? I think Audrianna would say that this rocks! Exactly like that. That this is so amazing and she would be so happy," Bartol said.
Bartol says the toy drive was made possible with the help of many volunteers.
