Northern Nevada nonprofit Casey’s Project donates toys, games, books and other supplies to young patients at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, because of their commitment to helping hospitalized children dealing with serious ailments by enhancing their journey back to health.
“When it comes to our youngest patients, having new toys for them to play with allows them to focus on being a kid, rather than being a patient,” said Bre Taylor, Saint Mary’s director of pediatrics and NICU.
“Casey’s Project has brought a lot of joy to our pediatric patients, their siblings and families,” Taylor added.
Casey’s Project was established by University of Nevada, Reno alumni Casey Stiteler. While in elementary school, Casey was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was in-and-out of hospitals for treatment.
Like many children in his position, Casey did not want to dwell on his treatment—he wanted to play. With this in mind, a year after Casey finished treatment in 2002, he began collecting toys for children in hospitals. After being cancer free for 12 years, Casey is happy to give back to those he can closely relate to.
“Having faced a traumatic medical experience as a child, I can empathize with these kids and understand what they and their families are going through,” shared Stiteler.
Casey has collected a wish list from Saint Mary’s and worked to fulfill it and stock the pediatric unit with coloring books, video games, toys and art supplies.
To date, Casey’s family has continued their mission of stocking local pediatric facilities with toys and art supplies to give kids a chance to be kids, to ignore their medical circumstances, and to embrace the power of play.
For more information about Saint Mary’s, visit saintmarysreno.com or for more information about Casey’s Project, click here.
Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center based in Reno, Nev. is a 380-bed acute care hospital offering inpatient, outpatient and wellness services. Nationally recognized and accredited by the Joint Commission, Saint Mary’s offers a robust line of services including a top-rated Center for Cancer featuring the region’s only CyberKnife radiosurgery delivery system, state-of-the-art William N. Pennington Emergency Room and Senior ER and a Cardiology program dedicated to long-term wellness. The health system also operates a fully-integrated Medical Group and a state-of-the-art Center for Health & Fitness. As a long-standing community partner, Saint Mary’s is dedicated to ensuring the health and wellness of northern Nevada remains strong. For more information, visit www.saintmarysreno.com.
Casey’s Project is a non-profit organization that provides toys, entertainment equipment, and therapeutic tools for children in pediatric medical facilities in Nevada. With the help of local schools and businesses, Casey’s Project works to fulfill wish lists and stock pediatric wards with coloring books, video games, toys art supplies and more. To date, Casey’s Project has continued their mission of stocking local pediatric facilities giving kids a chance to be kids, to ignore their medical circumstances, and to embrace the power of play.
