The gift that keeps on giving: Noah’s birthday wish

From a very young age, Noah has had a heart for giving back to his community. Two years ago, he began asking for a birthday gift that not many kids would ask for – money from friends and family to go towards the local charity of his choice. Since that time, he has raised over $3,000 to help those who need it most.

It all started when Noah was four years old. His mom, Cheryl, recalls Noah telling her that he wanted to make a difference in their community.

So he did.

For his fifth birthday, instead of presents he asked for money to support the local fire department, raising over $1,200. He even solicited the help of local businesses, many of them eager to help Noah with his mission. The next year, he chose to help the police department, this time raising over $1,800.

This year, for his seventh birthday, he has chosen to support the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies to honor a special little girl, Stella.

Stella was the daughter of close family friends who had been born earlier than expected, spending a total of 96 days in the NICU at a local hospital. Despite every effort made by doctors and nurses, Stella’s tiny body was failing, and she passed away just days after being born. Through this experience, Noah knew who he wanted to help next – tiny babies like Stella.

When hearing that Noah wanted to give back to the NICU, a friend introduced him to the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, where Noah and his mom were quickly invited to go on a tour of Winnie Palmer Hospital. During the tour, he was able to meet Dr. Gregor Alexander, neonatologist, and learn more about how his donation will help the team at Winnie Palmer Hospital continue to provide great care to some of our tiniest patients. Although Noah had been born at Winnie Palmer Hospital, he had never visited the NICU before, and said that his favorite part of the tour was seeing “the babies that were born a little too early.” He also commented that it felt good to know he would be helping these babies and felt comforted in knowing they received excellent care.

Watching her son have such great compassion for his community, Cheryl is filled with joy. She says, “Since Noah was young, he always had a spirit about him. As a parent, I couldn’t be more proud. He’s always been such a caring and compassionate child.”

When asked how others can help Noah reach his fundraising goal of $2,000, he replied, “Well, I take cash, checks…” To help support Noah and his birthday wish, you can visit his fundraising page at GivetoNoah.com

Thank you, Noah, for your support of the tiny babies treated at Winnie Palmer Hospital! Your generosity will impact the lives of many families who we care for each and every day. To learn more about the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies and how you can get involved, visit http://www.getinvolvedorlandohealth.com/arnoldpalmerhospital/