Essex County girls spreading Christmas spirit

Child gives back An 8-year-old girl who spent Christmas in the hospital a few years ago is giving back. CTV Windsor's Bob Bellacicco explains.

Megan Rose Patrick visited Windsor Regional Hospital's Met Campus this afternoon to drop off pajamas for those spending Christmas in hospital.

"All of those people that need pajamas on Christmas Eve can have a little Christmas magic," said the 8-year-old, who was helped by her friend Lauren Meadows.

"It makes me feel good," Meadows said. "Seeing the kids who are sick and in wheelchairs, I just know that they'll be so happy when they receive those Christmas pajamas."

Together the girls have helped collect about 600 pairs of pajamas and a thousand dollars this season. The pajamas will be delivered to the Ronald McDonald houses in Toronto and London, the Sick Kids Hospital in London, Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores Health Care and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.

Meadows is celebrating a birthday this weekend and asked for donations instead of gifts. "I wanted to help," Meadowns said. "I heard the story about her when she got diagnosed with cancer on Christmas Eve and I wanted to also help spread kindness for the kids in the hospital."

In 2018, at the age of two, Megan was diagnosed with leukemia on Christmas Eve. "Your brain works differently when, you know, you get diagnosed like that," Patrick told CTV News. "I remember at one point thinking, oh, I forgot her Christmas pajamas out of everything. I didn't have nothing, and I remember the Christmas pajamas and that always stuck with me."

The Patricks are still accepting donations. "We will get those donations out and we'll make sure no one is left behind [on] Christmas Eve,” Patrick said.

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