It was looking a lot like Christmas in July at Montreal’s Sainte-Justine Hospital on Friday where hundreds of bags were filled with gifts for young patients.
The initiative was spearheaded by dozens of students from Coda — a non-profit organization led by medical students in collaboration with the Canadian Cancer Society and the Quebec Cancer Foundation.
Their goal: to raise funds and awareness for cancer research and patient support services.
The non-profit has grown to include 13 academic institutions across Quebec and Ontario, including every faculty of medicine in Quebec.
Now in its third edition, their gift bag initiative is set to bring smiles and positivity to young hospital patients.
Around 50 volunteers were putting the bags together. Some even assembled stuffed animals on their own and sparked their creativity by giving each toy a name, age, and personality — a fun way to personalize the plushies for the children.
The effort began two years ago with the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
This year, they are set to deliver the gifts on July 25 to over 200 hospitalized children at Sainte-Justine.
