CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Volunteers from RE/MAX Reality Specialists in Charlottesville and Nellysford as well as RE/MAX Advantage in Waynesboro were on-hand Friday at UVA Health Children’s to deliver Easter baskets full of toys and candies to pediatric inpatients.

RE/MAX Advantage’s Ana Duarte Cole said this was RE/MAX’s “fifth or sixth year” delivering the baskets, calling it one of their favorite events. But in years past, the volunteers would simply drop off the baskets, with UVA Health staff delivering them to the kids. But this year was different,

“This year is going to be the first that we’re actually going to see the children, meet them and hand deliver [the baskets] personally,” Cole said. “Which is very exciting.”

In addition to this event, RE/MAX nationally is partnered with Children Miracle Network, a nonprofit that supports 170 children’s hospitals in the United States and Canada including UVA Health Children’s. As part of their partnership, some local RE/MAX agents, designated as “miracle agents,” donate part of their commissions to UVA Health Children’s.

Cole, a “miracle’ agent herself, said helping UVA Health was important to her because she has a son that spent time in a children’s hospital and she herself spent time in the hospital as a child as well.

“In addition to [donating part of our commissions], that we do throughout the year that helps support the children’s hospital,” Cole said, “we just want to do something a little bit extra special for the children that are staying here at Easter, particularly.”

One of those children was five-year-old Bella, who happily looked through her basket to find the stickers, crayons and other fun toys and sweets inside. Her older sister also had to stay in the hospital during Easter in 2022 and received a basket, and her mom, Amanda Thorn, expressed her gratitude for these types of gifts.

“She loves surprises,” Thorn said of Bella. “I think anytime that she can get something like an Easter basket, it just really does make her feel special, and I think it does bring her a lot of joy.”

Given the often-stressful nature of hospitals, Thorn said she likes to keep Bella occupied, getting her out of the room as much as possible, giving her the opportunity to meet other patients and all sorts of games and puzzles. Thorn said a lot of volunteers often come and join the activities, helping give parents a much-needed break.

“They do a lot for us as parents,” she said of the volunteers, “giving us time to just run and grab something to eat or get a quick walk in. And so for her, she just loves seeing new faces. She loves being able to walk around and see all of her nurses and doctors and everything like that.”

Thorn said gifts like an Easter basket go a long way in helping kids like Bella.

“It makes a bigger impact than I think most people know,” she said. “Just knowing that in an Easter basket, it’s just full of lots of different goodies, and I know a lot of kids love to have just activities and just the one that I quickly glanced for her, just with the candy, with the stickers, it really does keep them busy for a while, and it’s just full of a variety of things that they love.”