Mattapoisett First-Graders Bring Valentine’s Day Joy to Hospitalized Children

In a world where there is so much distrust, so much anger and fear, there is a ray of hope. And we find that hope in a child's heart.

At Mattapoisett's Center School, instead of the students giving one another candy hearts and store-bought cards with images of Spider-Man or Dora, the first-graders in Marissa Hughes' class decided to break out the crayons and construction paper and create some cards from the heart.

The children made another touching choice.

Instead of simply exchanging the homemade cards with one another, they decided to give them to kids who were too sick to enjoy Valentine's Day (and sometimes even chocolate). The children sent the cards to the pediatric units at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.

"Hello, you are very special," Brooklyn wrote in one card.

"Hope you feel better," accompanied by a nice drawing of a seal, was included in another card.

"Here is a plate of love," was written on another card, adorned by illustrations of ice cream sundaes, candy, cake and cupcakes.

Thinking back on their own experiences of being sick or hurt, the Center School students thought the cards could serve as a little pick-me-up for the kids stuck at the hospital on what is normally a fun day at school.

The children entrusted the care of the cards to the Friends of Jack Foundation, which regularly makes the rounds at the local pediatric units at nearby hospitals.

The cards were paired with one of the Friends of Jack signature bears.