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H E A L T H C A R E

treatment. Warm meals are brought three

or four times a week by volunteers. “We get

lots of single mothers, many of whom have

no job,” Justin says. “They’re just stressing

out about the basics of life, forget about the

cancer. If we can take away those stresses

and the costs associated with them, hope-

fully they can focus on the more important

thing.”

‘Something to Lean On’

In January, Cooper lost his battle with

cancer at the age of 6. His funeral

filled Christ United to the rafters.

The Hermans – Justin, Elise and daughter

Grace, 10 – are still grieving. The founda-

tion gives them something to lean on.

They want to grow the organization, in the

Triangle area and, one day, beyond.

They’ve had to turn away more than 10

families since opening. “That’s why we

want to grow,” Elise says, “because there’s

no doubt the need is there.”

They’re well on their way. The most

recent Rockin’ Run in September, the fifth

annual one, raised $102,000. “It sounds

cliché to say, maybe, but this foundation

means that Cooper’s spirit lives on,” Justin

says. “Selfishly it doesn’t fill the hole he

left, but it helps us. I think, emotionally,

we feel that something good needs to come

out of all that we went through.”

– Matt Dees

Eleven-year-old Leanne Joyce was waiting

for the results of an echocardiogram during

her annual appointment in 2011 at Duke

T H E G O L D E N R U L EFor teen Leanne Joyce, a $10 iTunes card was

the gift that keeps on giving Find out more about Super Cooper’s Little Red Wagon Foundation at supercooperswagon.org.

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BY

BR

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76 chapelhillmagazine.com December 2014

H E A L T H C A R E

Children’s Hospital when a group of volunteers

came around passing out small items. Leanne re-

ceived an iTunes gift card, and, though she can’t

recall what games or songs she downloaded with

it, she remembers the gift’s impact. “It made me

feel really good about myself,” Leanne says. “I

wanted to give back, and I realized the best way

to do that would be to start my own nonprofit.”

Time Management

Around that same time, the nationally

ranked jump roper, competitive swim-

mer and gymnast was told she had to

stop all of her activities because of the strain on

her heart due to her congenital heart condition.

Instead of dwelling on her disappointment, Le-

anne took advantage of her clear schedule after

school. “I knew that I would have a lot of extra

time,” Leanne says. “I had been raising money

prior to that hospital visit, but … I just wanted

to change gears. That’s when I really decided I

could use that time to help hospitalized kids.” In

the fall of 2011, Leanne started Positive Impact

for Kids to provide children’s hospitals with

items from their wish lists.

Now a freshman at Carrboro High, Leanne is

three years into her fundraising efforts. Although

she relied on her parents to help her apply for

501(c)(3) status, Leanne is the driving force

behind Positive Impact for Kids. Between school,

her school’s golf team practice and homework,

Leanne raises money through private donations,

grants and fundraisers. “I think the hardest

thing is competing for grants when it’s all adults

and bigger corporate nonprofits, and I’m just

this little 15-year-old trying to get these grants,

too,” Leanne says. But don’t underestimate this

teenager. To date, she’s raised $30,000 – no

small feat. And she’s had a lot of support locally.

“In July, we got a $2,500 grant from the Carolina

Panthers,” Leanne recalls. “We got a $5,783

grant from Whole Foods last year, too.”

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H E A L T H C A R E

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Driven Advocate

All the funds have made it possi-

ble for Positive Impact for Kids

to donate 50 iPads and more

than 500 gift cards, two laptops, two

Xbox 360s, two PS4s, and arts and crafts

supplies to hospitals in every state and

Washington, D.C. It doesn’t take long

for Leanne to hear stories from grate-

ful hospital employees who report back

on all the ways the iPads are being used

– from playing lullabies for infants to

candle-blowing apps that help kids steady

their breathing. “One hospital had a

kid … having blood drawn … and they

needed five professionals and his mom

to hold him down,” Leanne says. “Then

they gave him an iPad, which completely

distracted him so they just needed one

professional and his mom to hold him.”

On a local level, Leanne’s gifts have

jump-started the donor campaign of get-

ting PS4s in each of the patient rooms at

Duke Children’s Hospital, and Certified

Child Life Specialist Kathryn Oches says

she’s seen the impact on the kids there.

“Leanne seems driven to make a dif-

ference in the lives of children and teens

who are living with illness. The gifts she

has provided help our patients engage

in something nonmedical and normal

during hospitalization,” Kathryn says.

“She’s doing such a great job advocating

for awareness of hospitalized children

and teenagers.”

Worthy Praise

Leanne’s generous spirit has led to

a steady stream of media attention

including recent stories on CNN

and The Huffington Post. Last spring,

she was North Carolina’s middle school

honoree for the Prudential Spirit of Com-

munity award, given to young people for

their outstanding volunteer service in their

community.

Despite all of the accolades, she’s

focused completely on her goal of raising

$100,000 (with more grants and perhaps

a golf charity tournament) by her high

school graduation in 2018. “I just know

how hard it is being in the hospital wait-

ing, not knowing what’s going on. I don’t

want anyone to ever feel like that without a

gift,” Leanne says. “It’s just so rewarding to

know that I’m really making a difference in

kids’ lives.” – Jessica Stringer Ź

“I just know how hard it is being in the hospital waiting, not knowing what’s going on. I don’t want anyone to ever feel like that without a gift.”

Read more about Positive Impact for Kids

and donate online at positiveimpactforkids.org.