Every child deserves a chance to be “normal” — to do “normal” activities and own “normal” possessions. Regardless of their circumstances, a chance at a regular childhood is something they deserve.

But for many kids in hospitals such as Seattle Children’s, this may not be the case. The everyday items that they use, from toys to books to headphones, come from donors. And donation quality can vary — it may not meet the same standards as a personal purchase would.

It’s also important to note that hospitals’ needs change over time. Certain groups may be underserved, and certain products may be understocked — so the donation demand for them is much higher. However, not all contributions are reflective of this and therefore may or may not be effective. As a result, the products available to these children may not meet their preferences — detracting further and further from their sense of normalcy and control.

But as we created our donation lists for Seattle Children’s, we did our best to combat both of these issues. Most of the inventory is from trustworthy, well-established brands or else highly reviewed. Additionally, we contacted the hospital to learn more about what products they are truly in need of at the moment. As a result of both of these steps, our lists are curated to effectively fill some of the gaps that the nonprofit is facing. The goal of this? To add some “normal” comforts to these children’s lives.

None of this will be possible without your support. If you are reading this, we urge you to contribute through a donation — big or small, it will help us reach our end goal. Because all of these children have the right to experience life the same as us.