Santa’s Helpers Send Love ... and Fly Swatters
Fly swatters, baby wipes and toilet paper are not what
people typically put on Christmas wish lists. But
when an Air Force squadron stationed in Kuwait
asked for these items, New Family Center nurses at
Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center –
Fort Worth made sure to include these essentials
in military holiday care packages.
“ When we found
out that there
were over 100
soldiers in his
unit, we wanted
to do something
for each of them.”
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“It really put into perspective the conditions the
soldiers are living in,” says Deanna Crowley,
who organized the collection. “Every year, our
nurses come together to do a project around
the holidays, and supporting soldiers who help
protect us was very rewarding.”
The opportunity arose when the team learned
that the husband of one of the unit’s nurses
would be deployed and away for the holidays.
“When we found out that there were over 100
soldiers in his unit, we wanted to do something
for each of them,” Deanna recalls.
However, they faced some challenges. Shipping
would not be cheap – about $700 – and the
nurses had little time to get everything together.
“We had two weeks before a shipping cutoff,”
adds Kristi Wilkerson, New Family Center
manager. “But the nurses ran with it because they
felt very passionate about the project.” Through
the generosity of nurses and other staff, they were
able to collect all of the items on the wish list and
cover shipping.
The 100-plus care packages each included a
Christmas card with a personalized message,
food items, soap, foot powder, decorations … and,
of course, the coveted fly swatters, baby wipes
and toilet paper.
A few weeks later, a letter arrived thanking the
nurses for the goods, but especially the love and
care that went into each package.