A 12-year-old boy undergoing treatment for stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma personally delivered 124 Easter baskets to children at two Anchorage hospitals, turning his own medical challenges into an act of kindness just days before Easter Sunday.
Nathan Yuill, who has spent significant time in hospital rooms himself, organized the project after fundraising more than $2,000 in the first 24 hours. The baskets, filled with coloring books, candy, stuffed animals, and other treats, went to young patients at Providence Children’s Hospital and the Alaska Native Medical Center.
Clinical Nurse Manager of Pediatrics at Providence, Nicki Thurwanger, said the baskets overflowed the carts. “We brought what, four carts down, and we were like, ‘this is perfect.’ And the baskets were so big and we got to just keep seeing more and more come,” Thurwanger said.
Nathan’s mother, Dena Yuill, said the outpouring of community support surprised her. She added that her son’s resilience continues to inspire her. “He’s amazing. I wish I had half the strength he does,” Dena Yuill said. “He’s constantly, ‘Mom, I’m okay. I’m going to be okay.’”
The idea came from Nathan’s own experience with cancer, which began after an unexpected diagnosis following months of daily pain.
Nathan told reporters he wanted to give baskets to other children “because he likes getting gifts in the hospital.” He hopes the gifts help them feel “like calm, maybe? Or like excited, maybe?”
Thurwanger noted the emotional lift for patients. “When the kiddos are here, every day becomes challenging and hard, and you look for the little things that make you be a kid. And so I think that’s what things like this give back is, yes, you’re in the hospital, but you’re a kid, and you get to still be a kid when you’re here,” she said.
Nathan has two more cancer treatments remaining before doctors expect to declare him cancer-free. The deliveries provided a timely moment of joy and normalcy for hospitalized children as families across the country prepare for Easter on April 5.
