Instead of staying at home to eat turkey on Thanksgiving, Kayla Abramowitz spent the day at Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee, a setting she's all too familiar with.
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Kayla suffers from several chronic diseases, but when she's not in the hospital herself, she's visiting other sick children across the country. She likes to make visits on holidays, since she spends a lot of big days in the hospital, most recently, her 14th birthday.
"I really want to make other children happy, because I know exactly what it's like to be missing some big, fun times," Abramowitz said as she worked on crafts with young patients Thursday morning.
Abramowitz says the idea of visiting children's hospitals and providing entertainment came from her own boredom.
"After a particular two week hospital stay, one of my first big long ones, I realized it was extremely boring at the hospital," she said. "I'd gone to the hospital so much and I'd watched the same movies all over again, so I decided to make a flyer and go around my neighborhood. I told my parents I wanted 100 DVDs in my living room to donate."
Three years later, Abramowitz has her own, nationwide non-profit, Kayla Cares 4 Kids.
She's partnered with big companies like Sony Pictures, Dreamworks Animation, Walmart and Sam's Club. They provide movies and games for Abramowitz to deliver to hundreds of hospitals across the country.
Abramowitz says it's a way to fight through her own illness and help give others that same hope, too.
"The face lights up and it makes me think of myself in a hospital bed," she said. "I can relate to them so much, and it's so heartwarming."
Kayla Cares 4 Kids is in need of donations. For more information, visit kaylacares4kids.org.
