Life became a little more fun and a lot more bearable for the young patients at the Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) Pediatric Oncology Unit and Clinic thanks to a donation of replacement toys and comfort items by Cal State San Bernardino Police Department and the university’s Parking & Transportation Services.

The two departments dug into their pockets to donate more than $1,000 to buy toys to replace broken and worn toys in the Pediatric Oncology Unit and Clinic. Members of both departments, accompanied by the university’s Cody Coyote presented the gifts to the Pediatric Cancer unit on Oct. 17.

Many of the Pediatric Cancer Unit and Clinic’s toys were broken or need repair. CSUSB staff reached out to LLUMC and put together a list of items the children had on their wish list, which included a karaoke machine to brighten the playroom, a remote-controlled dog, board games, crayons, Star Wars animatronic toys, a handheld gaming unit, dolls, a police car and motorcycle, DVDs for the cancer unit’s Friday movie nights and two pre-approved car seats to accommodate patients who needed to be transported home safely. 

In addition to replacing the toys, the departments also purchased “comfort items” for these children who battle cancer every day. These “comfort items” included lip balm for dry chapped lips caused by chemotherapy, earbuds to listen to soothing music and soft beanies to cover small heads affected by radiation treatments – all of which can make their hospital stay feel a little less overwhelming.

For more information on how this will help to make a difference in the lives of these children, visit the CSUSB Police Department Twitter page to see photos of the Toy Drive distribution. You can also find information there on the department’s upcoming events for this year.

For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.