NEWS

Brooke opens her Toy Closet

Cindy Robinson
DelmarvaNow

Brooke Mulford was only 4 years old when she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer.

That was in 2009, and since then, she has endured many treatments and hospital stays. Knowing first-hand what it is like to be a child in the hospital, Brooke, with help from friends at the Salisbury Christian School, found a way to make the experience a little easier for other young patients.

Brooke was at Peninsula Regional Medical Center recently to cut the ribbon for Brooke's Toy Closet, a special cabinet filled with new toys, coloring books and other goodies that PRMC's Emergency Department and Pediatrics Unit can give to children who are hospitalized, according to a PRMC press release.

Children can enjoy these items during their hospital stay, then take them home when they are feeling better, hopefully making their hospital stay a more positive experience, said Denise Billing, president of the PRMC Foundation,

Salisbury Christian School students contributed to the project by holding a toy drive and raised funds to buy books for the toy closet. A group of students were on hand for the ribbon cutting.

The base of the cabinet was built by PRMC facilities management staff, who also added touches of purple, Brooke's favorite color.

Brooke's Toy Closet is funded by the Brooke Mulford Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and its missions, visit brookemulford.org..

The ribbon cutting was held amid a busy week as Brooke and her mother, Amy, packed and prepared for a move to New Jersey, in order to be closer to Brooke's home hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Amy Mulford said she was happy to see the toy closet open before they left the Shore.

"Brooke had gotten so many toys when she was first diagnosed, so many more than she could possibly use," Mulford said.

So they started putting many toys aside to save for such a project.

"It has been a dream of ours," she said. "Salisbury has given us so much, this is something Brooke and I wanted to do."

When thinking about the new toys finding their way to kids who are hospitalized or in the emergency room, "It makes me happy," Brooke said.