By Amy Batista, Special Writer
The Applegate family is hosting its first Easter collection give-back event to “give the children a smile on their faces.”
”We try to do an event a couple times a year,” said mom Dawn Applegate in an email. “Our big event is the Christmas drive.
The collection began March 12 and will end April 4. The items will be donated to the children at the Bristol Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick.
She said that last year, her family did it for St. Patrick’s Day.
Her son, sixth-grader Daniel Applegate, was diagnosed with Evans Syndrome on Dec. 19, 2011, and is in not in remission.
”Daniel has not been feeling well, and we missed it so he thought of Easter,” she said.
The family is collecting anything related to Easter, such as stuffed animals, books, pails, buckets and more; no food or candy.
Items must be new since they are going to children with low immunities, she added.
She said they have collected 24 stuffed animals, a few pails, buckets and books.
”We drop off the bags to the hospital, and a representative from Life Center will come down and take pictures,” she said.
Her son’s illness is a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body makes antibodies that destroy the red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells, according to www.evanssyndrome.org.
Late in 2011, the first indication something was not quite right with Daniel was the yellow coloring of his eyes and skin, which was noticed by his teacher.
”We (then) called his primary doctor, and they said take him straight to the hospital,” Ms. Applegate said.
Daniel was transferred to the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where he underwent rounds of testing and ultimately was diagnosed.
He was the inspiration behind the give-back events.
”He was so upset when he was in the hospital to see how many other children were, too,” she said.
Those interested in participating should email Ms. Applegate at [email protected] or contact her at 215-758-4978.
For her, the highlight is to give back for all they have given Daniel in his countless times he stayed.
She said Daniel is not in school at this time.
”His retic count is higher, meaning his red blood cells are breaking down faster,” she said. “We are praying that it was because he was constantly sick being in school. He has been on homebound instruction again since end of January.”
