PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In 1998, Sharon Snyder’s son Kyle was diagnosed with Leukemia. A few months later, when Kyle was almost 3 years old, he relapsed during treatment and died.
Snyder decided to take all of her grief, anger and sadness and help other parents who were going through the same thing by creating the nonprofit Kisses for Kyle Foundation.
“We started with a handful of families that we supported and, each year, it just kept growing,” Snyder said. “I looked at it as a way of… as Kyle would grow…the foundation was growing. And he was by my side – in spirit – with me.”
Kisses for Kyle supports about 500 families in the Delaware Valley annually. And, with the holidays right around the corner, Snyder is hosting the organization’s 14th annual holiday gift drive.
“From diagnosis to treatment, dealing with childhood cancer can be emotionally draining, and shopping for gifts under the cloud of various medical expenses and responsibilities is often not top of mind,” Snyder said.
Megan Hanson of Glenolden is appreciative of the organization’s efforts.
The first year her now five-year-old son was diagnosed with Leukemia, Kisses for Kyle volunteers from brought gifts to her home.
“I remember Lincoln's face just so bright,” Hanson said. “This was right before Christmas, like a week before…And I remember him just, like, dumping everything on the ground and just like smiling ear to ear.”
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Snyder says volunteers will be delivering gifts to families the weekend of Dec. 17, and a bit more help is needed to fulfill their goals.
To donate, visit their website.