Holmes Lumber sponsoring toy and blanket drive
Holmes Lumber is sponsoring a toy and blanket drive, organized by the Hiller family to benefit Akron Children's Hospital out of gratitude for what the hospital has done for their son Colt. Pictured are Lucas Hiller holding Braxton, a grandson they are adopting, and Courtney Hiller holding Colt.
Inspired by the care their son receives at Akron Children’s Hospital, Lucas and Courtney Hiller are heading up a toy and blanket drive sponsored by Holmes Lumber, where Lucas Hiller is employed.
The couple’s 3-year-old son, Colt, has been in and out of ACH since he was 4 months old. “He was accidentally knocked out of his bassinet by his big sister Brooklynn,” Courtney Hiller said. “She just wanted to see her baby brother, but before I could get there, he had fallen out of the bassinet and landed on his head.”
The Hillers took their son to Union Hospital, where doctors recommended a transfer to ACH based on finding calcifications on his brain. Those calcifications turned out to be part of an overarching diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection.
“That began a long journey,” Courtney Hiller said. “We are at ACH three to four times a week for various therapies. The kids always get a little gift to take home, but the hospital has been running low on gifts. So I told my husband we should do a toy drive, and he ran it up the chain and Dan Troyer approved it.”
Courtney Hiller said her son has been diagnosed with numerous conditions, all caused by or related to CMV. These include failure to thrive, autism, deafness in his left ear, cerebral palsy and microcephaly.
“He has 13 total diagnoses, and we're not done,” Courtney Hiller said. “He can continue to develop new conditions. Because of his failure to thrive, he has a permanent feeding tube. He’s also not walking, and he is mentally only about a year old.”
According to the CDC, cytomegalovirus is a common viral infection. When a baby is born with the virus, it is called CMV. About 1 in every 200 babies is born with CMV, and 1-in-5 will have long-term health problems.
Courtney Hiller said she probably picked up the virus from a child who had it and may not even have shown symptoms.
How to donate
All three Holmes Lumber locations in Tuscarawas and Holmes counties have collection bins just inside the doors. “People can drop things off at our Dover, Sugarcreek and Millersburg stores,” Lucas Hiller said.
Courtney Hiller said there are just a few rules to follow.
All items must be new with tags attached, as used toys and blankets could carry bacteria. Homemade blankets are acceptable as long as they are washed first in a fragrance-free detergent. All donations must be made by Saturday, Dec. 10 by noon. Toys and blankets must be unwrapped.
“We are also going to hold a Fill-A-Truck event on Nov. 26 at the Sugarcreek store from 7:30 a.m. to noon,” Courtney Hiller said.
The Dover Christmas Parade on Dec. 3 will present another opportunity to donate.
“The Holmes Lumber truck will be decorated with a Toyland theme, and we will have elves who can accept the donations and put them on the truck,” Courtney Hiller said. “We just wanted a way to give back to ACH for all they’ve done for us. The donated items will be given to children to help them feel more at home and comfortable while they are in the hospital, and then they will be allowed to take the item home when they are discharged.”
Courtney Hiller has her own history with ACH. “When I was 4 months old, I had meningitis. And my mom said they basically prepared my parents to say their goodbyes. But here I am today, 32 years later.”
Courtney Hiller said they would not have realized just how much the hospital does for families if it weren’t for Colt. “It brings me to tears sometimes just seeing what these kids are going through, but the doctors and staff there are amazing,” she said.
Lucas Hiller said, “He’s our miracle baby. But we’re not doing this just for Colt. It’s for all the children that are there. Since they’re not able to have Christmas at home, we will bring it to them.”