Jessica Rees (SmallWorld Children Heroes)


Jessica Rees was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 11, and she and her parents drove to the hospital every day to receive outpatient treatment.
"One day we were leaving, and she just simply asked us, 'When do all the other kids come home?'" said her father, Erik.
When Jessica found out that many of them would have to stay at the hospital, she wanted to help "make them happier, because I know they're going through a lot, too," she said.
So she started making JoyJars -- containers full of toys, stickers, crayons, anything that might brighten a child's day.
"She was really particular about what would go in the jars," said her mother, Stacey. "It had to be something cool, it couldn't be cheap or flimsy."
Jessica created 3,000 JoyJars before she passed away on January 5, 2012. But her parents are carrying on her legacy.
At the end of 2012, more than 50,000 JoyJars had been delivered to young cancer patients through the Jessie Rees Foundation (www.jessie.org).
"It's what she started, and it's what we'll continue to do," Stacey Rees said.
Jessica was one of three "Young Wonders" honored at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute."
"What makes Jessie a Young Wonder is that she cared," her dad said. "And in the midst of a world that says focus on yourself, it's all about you, she said, 'No, it's not.' ''
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Jessica Rees (SmallWorld Children Heroes) Jessica Rees (SmallWorld Children Heroes) Reviewed by Unknown on April 22, 2018 Rating: 5

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