Sophie Enderton has a special place in her heart for people who are fighting cancer.
Sophie, a 10-year-old from Niagara County, New York, has seen firsthand the toll that chemotherapy takes on a person after her grandfather, Terry, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Sophie found out about her grandpa’s condition in October 2021, and within two months he was gone. Seeing him undergo chemo, she wanted to help others suffering through the same kind of treatments.
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“My husband and I are so proud that Sophie wanted to give back,” Jillian Enderton, Sophie’s mom, told Fox News. “She saw others struggling, and she wanted to be a change and help them.
“Sophie and her grandpa were super close, and I think this helps her to stay close to him now that he’s passed away.”
Sophie gave back by deciding to assemble “chemo comfort bags”: specially curated kits containing small, cozy items intended to bring patients a little extra comfort.
For the holidays, she created 10 bags, each one containing small games or word searches, blankets, pillows, socks and mitts.
She then took them to the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, where her grandfather had been receiving treatment. The staff was touched by the gesture.
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“Sophie wanted to do something to support other people, like her grandfather, going through chemotherapy as part of cancer treatment,” Roswell Park posted on Facebook on Dec. 27.
“She put together 10 chemo support kits for our patients, filling each one with treats, games, cozy blankets and soft pillows to help make their days a little brighter. Her hope is to make this part of her family’s holiday traditions.
“Thank you, Sophie! We’re inspired by and grateful for your kindness.”
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While Sophie didn’t get to hand out the bags personally, she said that being able to help “feels so nice” — and she’s gotten word that her efforts were appreciated by the recipients.
“I’ve received thank you notes, but I never knew who the bags went to,” Sophie told Fox News.
Her efforts have been recognized by other groups, too.
“Meet Sophie Enderton,” All Saints Parish shared on Facebook on Feb. 17.
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“A student in our 5/6th grade Faith Formation class at All Saints Parish who was recently featured on Fox News. She and her family are truly the hands of Christ as they make these chemo comfort bags for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.”
The ambitious 10-year-old is just getting started and has set a new goal: She wants to put together and donate 20 more comfort bags to cancer patients by March 28 in honor of her grandpa’s birthday.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
