Mia Mannarino is a true warrior. She’s currently fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but that hasn’t stopped the brave nine-year-old in her mission to help other children who are sick. She’s already generously collected hundreds of toys and thousands of character bandaids for kids in the hospital. According to her mom, these “drops” not only bring a smile to the face of children who need it, but also keep Mia’s mind off her own battle with leukemia.
Her next goal is to bring summer to the pediatric ward of Richmond University Medical Center in her fifth collection, Mia’s No More Ouchie Summertime Lovin’ Drop. She needs your help to make it a special summer for these children. She will be collecting the following items until June 1:
• Plain tee shirts (any colors and all sizes, even for the adults)
• Anything to decorate shirts with (markers, paint, gems to glue on, fun kid stencils, etc.)
• Puffy paint, all colors
• Mini glue guns and sticks to fit
• Plain pillow cases
• Small wooden birdhouses to paint
• Fun character bandaids
• Other fun items (message Mia with your ideas)
There is also an Amazon Wish list where specific items can be purchased and sent directly to Mia. You can link to it here. The cutoff for donations is June 1, as the items will be delivered just before school lets out. If you are interested in donating, please message Mia on Facebook (the account is run by her mom). You can link to her Facebook page here or by searching the hashtags #TeamMiaTheGreat or #MiaTheGreat08 on Instagram and Facebook.
Good luck, Mia! We wish you and the children at RUMC all the best this summer and always!
