State Troopers and firefighters brighten hospitalized kids’ Christmas

Just before Christmas 2011, Sgt. Craig Harris of the Asheville-based Highway Patrol Troop G called Mission Hospital and asked what he could do to brighten the spirits of hospitalized children. The answer? Come in uniform and bring them toys. He did, and the event was fun for all. “We had to do it again, it was so much fun,” said Harris.

This year, Sgt. Harris and four of his troopers were joined by the Enka-Candler fire department who brought Sparky the fire dog with them. “Over $4,000 in toys were collected at the Dollar General Store on Smoky Park Highway,” said Enka-Candler Assistant Fire Chief Joshua Howard. “We have been able to help over 100 kids here in town”

The troopers and the firefighters roamed around the pediatric unit and brightened spirits of kids and staff. A tricycle race broke out with one young man and a trooper while other troopers pulled over a red wagon to check its registration in the main hallway. (Actually, they were really just admiring the snazzy paint job.)

Before heading for the rooms, the piles of toys were sorted by age. Sgt. Harris came prepared with knit hats for the newborns and walkie-talkies for the teens.

In one room Emorie Whitman, 14, of Tryon was looking forward to the visit. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma a year ago, she has been in and out of the hospital most of the past year. She got a fuzzy lamb, but then saw the toy cars and asked for one of those. Trooper Barry Burnette gladly obligied. Her smile was still lighting up the room when Sparky came to visit later.

“This year, the floor is full,” said Tara Horan, area supervisor. “Our census has stayed right at max [of 27] all fall. The kids love to see the guys in uniform come, especially bringing toys. It is a high point.”

The low point? The trooper lost the tricycle race. He will not live that one down for a long, long time.


Giving Sparky a high five.


Christian Moore poses with her new friends.


State Troopers pass out toys at Mission Hospital.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.