LOWELL, Mich — Jordan and Katy Scharphorn are already thinking about the holidays — and the sick children who will spend them in the hospital.
Their daughter Alice was just 18 months old in November 2018, when what was first written off as teething turned out to be a rare type of liver cancer.
Her family spent that Thanksgiving in the hospital, and feared they would spend Christmas there, too — until she was discharged on Dec. 23.
Nine months of chemotherapy and a liver transplant saved Alice's life.
Through it all, Jordan and Katy said they were surrounded by support.
"We were constantly showered in love. And when we were on the pediatric cancer floor during that time, we saw a lot of families that didn't have that," Katy said.
That experience moved the Scharphorns to create Alice in Toyland in 2020 — a holiday mission to bring joy and toys to children in the hospital.
"I think we got like $1,000 and I said we should just do this every year, and we did it every year. And every year it got bigger and bigger," Katy said.
Last year, the charity became a nonprofit, delivering more than $10,000 worth of gifts to hospitalized children — letting them know they are not forgotten.
"They're still loved, even though they're hooked up to all these things and have to have these scary things happen to them," Alice said.
The mission goes beyond simply spreading holiday cheer.
"It's not just like a feel-good thing. When children are scared, their outcomes are worse. When they feel unsafe, they don't comply with as many medical procedures," Katy said.
Alice in Toyland maintains a stockpile of toys and gifts so the family can respond to individual children's needs throughout the year — not just during the holidays.
"We don't always get to see their faces, but sometimes I think that's better because this isn't about us feeling great about ourselves," Katy said.
"We can't cure cancer, epilepsy, or whatever those children are going through. But we know what it's like to be in those rooms, and so we can do this. We can bring them this joy, this little moment of distraction."
Alice is now 9 years old and considered cured. But the family's hardest days will continue to bring hope to others for years to come.
"To be able to flip it on its head and turning it into something positive, or at least something that can be a relief for people going through some of the same things, some things more difficult I think, is a blessing, and not just for the other families, but for us," Jordan said.
Alice in Toyland has made deliveries to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and C.S. Mott Children's Hospitals. Donation drop boxes can be found around Lowell during the holidays.
For more information on how to get involved and support their mission, visit the website or Facebook page.
As the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Persons of the Month, the Scharphorns receive a $250 prize.