ASHLAND —
Instead of a party, Chase Morrison will be having a toy drive this weekend to celebrate not only his birthday, but also 15 months of being cancer free.
The boy was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor stage 4 kidney cancer shortly before his second birthday. His parents took him to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where he received treatments for almost a year before the cancer was gone. Chase went to his 15-month screening on July 31, and the family was thrilled to hear he was still cancer free.
When his parents, Alyssa and Joe Morrison of Ashland, asked him what he wanted to do for his fourth birthday, he said he wanted to “help his cancer friends.”
“How could a 4-year-old be so compassionate? It just broke my heart,” Mrs. Morrison said.
In an effort to give back to the hospital where Chase received his treatments, the Morrison family will host Chase’s Wish, a toy drive to benefit other young cancer patients at the Cincinnati hospital.
When Chase first began his treatments in Cincinnati, it was a difficult time for both the boy and his parents. The Morrisons said they were especially thankful for the toy room in the hospital, where the children, even though they may be hooked to an IV, have the chance to play and feel normal.
“If it wasn’t for that room we would have been lost,” Mrs. Morrison said.
All toy donations the family receives this weekend will be taken to the hospital when Chase returns for his next screening. All toys must be new in consideration of the children’s health. Monetary donations to the hospital in check form are also encouraged.
Toys, coloring books, crayons and even batteries will be helpful, Morrison said. A list of appropriate items to donate can be found on the hospital’s website.
The toy drive will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Ashland Rental and Sales Inc., 1245 Winchester Ave., across from Burger King. There will be a dunking booth and refreshments.
For more information, call Morrison at (606) 922-4562 or Mrs. Morrison at (606) 922-3513.
SHANNON MILLER can be reached at smiller@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2657.
Local News
'Helping his cancer friends'
Boy chooses toy drive for birthday celebration
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