Volunteers Make Thanksgiving Meal For Hospital Staff, Patients, Families
By Joel Hillan
DENVER (CBS4)- In the Ronald McDonald Room on the 3rd floor of the Health One Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, patients, their families and staff all enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal, because of the generosity of a special couple.
"It's been my experience that the smallest things make a huge difference even to people that you don't expect," said hospital volunteer Melany Matheson.
When Melany heard a Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be served at the hospital this year, she was crestfallen.
"So I sat down and spoke with my husband and he said, 'Why don't we just put it together?' and I was like, 'Okay, I think I can pull that together.'"
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And so they did and those receiving the meal, like Tracy Port, were grateful.
This is Tracy's third Thanksgiving at the hospital with her teenage daughter who has been suffering from a rare blood cancer.
"It means everything to me; I haven't had Thanksgiving with her in three years."
This year will be different, special, and not just because of the meal, they learned this week she's beating the cancer.
Young J'lon Polk loves Thanksgiving, "My mom makes this good Thanksgiving dinner, it's so good, macaroni, turkey, ham-- it's so good!"
But not this year, his new little brother needed some time in the NICU before going home.
Still, J'lon's heart is full of gratitude, "I'm thankful for my little brother, my sister, my mom, Marcus, my dad."
He added this special message to those who at the hospital, "I hope they all get well and better and thank you to everyone who volunteered to make this for us."
Joel Hillan anchors CBS4 This Morning on weekends as well as reports stories for CBS4 News at 5 and 6 p.m. Follow Joel on Twitter @joelhillan.