SACRAMENTO, Calif. (WSVN) – One Sacramento girl’s good deeds are making the Christmas season a little brighter.
Gracie Gonzalez is a 12 year-old girl, and she’s battling cancer. This Christmas season, she aims to give back and donate gifts to others that are battling cancer around the holidays.
“I ask for, like, socks, pajamas, some stuffed animals,” said Gonzalez.
The 12-year-old has been hard at work for the past two weeks collecting for sick children at UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento. “There should be enough stockings for each kid,” said Gonzalez.
For the last eight months, Gracie has been carrying on through a battle against Leukemia. “She’s taking a hard time in our lives and making a difference,” said Gracie’s mother, Julie Gonzalez. “You’re gonna make a lot of kids smile and be happy.”
“Hopefully,” said Gracie as her mother kissed her.
“You are, and I’m proud of her for that,” said Julie.
Gracie has undergone chemotherapy, finishing her last intensive treatment. “I know what it’s like to be here on the holidays, ’cause I was here on Thanksgiving,” said Gracie. “So, I wanna make their Christmas the best it possibly can be.”
To accomplish that goal, Gracie and others are rolling in carts full of presents she’s gathered for the children. “As she’s in the midst of her own treatment she’s looking to help others,” said an employee at the hospital. “It’s really inspiring to us.”
Gracie said this is an honor, but the real honor is found within everyone along her journey. “It’s pretty crazy,” she said. “I mean, our community is so small, but everybody pitched in and hopefully all the kids have a good Christmas.”
Gracie is currently in the maintenance phase of her recovery, which means she will make less trips to the hospital and will the chance to spend more holidays at home.
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