FREMONT, Mich.,– A Newaygo County mom is paying it forward this holiday season to children in the hospital. Sarah Savickas had the idea after seeing the struggles her three-year-old son, Oakley was facing.
Oakley was born with a rare syndrome that then led to kidney disease. He’ll eventually need a kidney transplant in the years to come but in the meantime he and his mom are giving back, hoping to bring smiles to others kid’s faces with something as simple as Band Aids.
You would never guess the battle Oakley’s fighting by just looking at him. “He looks fine on the outside most kidney kids do, it’s all inside and his kidneys are huge it’s all a mess in there, it’s just a sad reality to have to live with,” said Sarah.
Sarah says Oakley has been hospitalized several times and has to get routine lab work, knowing all too well what being “poked” feels like.
It’s why Sarah saw a big problem that needed a Band Aid, but it’s not a simple quick fix as the old saying goes. It’s actually a Facebook campaign making sure kids always have a “cool” Band Aid. Sarah says it may sound surprising but a “cool” band-aid actually makes all the difference.
“He’s nervous at first but you know I’ll even tell him up front, well you’ll get a cool band-aid and he really actually does get excited about it. It takes a lot of the stress and pressure off him, just something to look forward to once it’s all done.”
Sarah will be dropping off the Band Aids on December 26th, if you want to donate any before then you can reach Sarah through her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/oakleysopportunity
