Irvine, CA (PRWEB) September 19, 2013
The Rees Family understands how powerful caring can be in fights that leave little cancer patients feeling lonely, labeled, and limited.
"Jessie from just about the start of her chemotherapy wanted to make sure that kids that felt like she felt, as she said at the time, lonely and limited, were aways cared for," said Erik Rees, Jessie's Daddy and Chairman of the Jessie Rees Foundation. "She started our national movement of caring by organizing her own life to care for courageous kids facing the same battle she faced against cancer."
This past week, the Orange County Register, the Rees' hometown newspaper and one of the nation's largest, honored the family with their 'Everyday Hero' award. In the reporting of the award, the paper cited the distribution of 70,000 JoyJars colorfully filled with 15-20 age appropriate toys to courageous kids facing cancer or other debilitating illness as an example to others.
"Jessie was the first one to start the JoyJars, by trying to use her own small toys. We worked with her doctors and Children's Hospital of Orange County, to come up with JoyJars that can be distributed by nurses and doctors when they feel a child needs it," said Erik Rees. "Jessie completed 3,000 JoyJars herself and we have been able to help over 70,000 kids and families with them since January 2012."
The Orange County Register started to cite 'Everyday Heroes' each Monday in their print and online editions. The Rees's, who helped kick off the effort in a video earlier this year, were recognized on Monday, September 9, 2013.
"To be recognized for completing our mission of caring during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month is just even more special," explained Rees. "In some of the country's we have sent JoyJars to there isn't enough medicine to treat kids, but they have a JoyJar to let them know that people love them, care for them, and want to comfort them."
Currently JoyJars, NEGU SpiritPack whole room makeovers, and other support efforts by the Jessie Rees Foundation are serving 240 hospitals, nearly every Children's Hospital in the United States and many in several foreign countries spread over 3 continents.
To read the entire Orange County Register article, go to http://ow.ly/p0Zvw
About the Jessie Rees Foundation http://jessie.org
Founded in 2011 by Jessie Rees and her family during her fight with inoperable brain cancer, the Foundation helps kids Never Ever Give Up in their quest for healing from cancer. Distributing Jessie’s JoyJars © through 240 children’s hospitals, and every Ronald McDonald House in the US, the Foundation has provided 70,000 JoyJars to kids and families through the support of major corporate partners UPS, Life Technologies, Anthem Blue Cross of California and others. The Foundation has provided 100% of the JoyJars at no cost to the hospital or recipients and is completely funded through private donations.