LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock family is collecting toys for children spending the holidays at UMC Children\u2019s Hospital, drawing from their own experience of being hospitalized during what should be the happiest time of the year.<\/p>\n
The Wade family home is filled with toys this season, but not for their own children. The toys are destined for young patients at UMC through their annual drive called \u201cStuff the Van with Allie and Cole<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Their mom, Deonna Wade, remembers the first year the family hosted the drive.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just so fun, like the toys were coming into our house. I think the FedEx guy thought that we had like a shopping addiction or something because we were getting so many deliveries,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The family understands what it feels like to be in a hospital room during the holiday season. When Allie was four years old, she fell off the couch and was paralyzed.<\/p>\n \u201cShe had a brain abnormality that we didn\u2019t know about. And so, she was paralyzed within just a few seconds,\u201d Deonna said.<\/p>\n The family spent the next 200 days in the hospital, in the middle of the pandemic, missing out on all the holiday fun.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring that time was Christmas and Thanksgiving and all those big holidays that are supposed to be family ones. And we spent them in Houston alone,\u201d Deonna said.<\/p>\n The challenging time was made less difficult by child life specialists and people who brought some cheer to Allie\u2019s room.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would get all these toys brought into the room to the point where I\u2019d be like, okay, like we\u2019re good. But it was just like this little pick me up, like that can be a very isolating and depressing experience when you\u2019re in the hospital for any period of time, even if it\u2019s like a week during the holidays,\u201d Deonna said.<\/p>\n The next year, Deonna was inspired by another mother doing a toy drive in Waco, and \u201cStuff the Van with Allie and Cole\u201d was born. What started as a potential one-time effort has continued for five years.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then the next year, all the same people who bought stuff from the year before were like, hey, are you gonna do that again?\u201d Deonna said.<\/p>\n People can purchase toys from the family\u2019s Amazon wish list<\/a> until December 2. Allie and Cole will help deliver the toys to UMC on December 4.<\/p>\n \u201cYou buy one toy, it comes straight to my house. You don\u2019t have to deal with it and it\u2019s easy,\u201d Deonna said.<\/p>\n In the last five years, the family has delivered nearly 1,800 toys to UMC. They start the drive every year on the anniversary of Allie\u2019s injury to bring something positive to what can be a difficult time.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s still pretty young, but she hangs out with adults a lot. So, she\u2019s pretty mature and she gets it. She knows that what she went through is now helping people and she knows that her story is impacting people for good, even though it\u2019s really, really, really hard,\u201d Deonna said.<\/p>\n Deonna and her friend host the Raising Disabled Podcast<\/a>, encouraging and highlighting other families in a similar situation. <\/p>\n The podcast is one of the sponsors for the toy drive this year, along with STM Pools, The Turquoise Shop, Denise and Martin Sevcik and Atmos Energy. <\/p>\n Deonna says sponsors who donate can help the family purchase presents that were left behind on the wish list. She says those often help patients like teenagers or newborn babies that are more challenging to shop for.<\/p>\n She\u2019s hoping even more sponsors will donate this year to help deliver more toys to patients and their siblings. To become a sponsor, reach out to Deonna through her Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 KCBD. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n