They contain various craft activities to keep kids engaged while going through treatment.
Sarah Devine says 7000 parcels have been donated since the charity's inception. Photo / Bevan Conley
Gabby’s Starlit Hope continues the work of Gabby Devine, a Whanganui teenager who died of cancer in 2015.
She set up Starlit Hope to perform random acts of kindness for children, parents and staff in the oncology wards at Starship Hospital and Taranaki Base Hospital.
“Marcel used the parcels heaps when we were at the hospital and it was such a supportive organisation,” Crowley said.
“So was the Child Cancer Foundation, so I started a fundraiser for both. I thought that would be a way to give back.”
She set up a Givealittle page and enlisted the services of her mother-in-law Sue Crowley (from Cherry Cottage Cupcakes) and her work colleagues to bake goods to sell.
Her efforts raised $3028, which was split between Gabby’s Starlit Hope and CCF.
Gabby’s charity is now run by her mother Sarah Devine, who said it had given out around 7000 parcels since its inception.
“The fact that they [the Crowleys] wanted to fundraise for us while in the midst of their own cancer journey was just amazing,” Devine said.
“I didn’t realise it would grow so much. They put a lot of effort into this, and that’s really special.
“This is what keeps it going - people’s kindness. It’s amazing to see Gabby’s legacy impacting families in a positive way.”
Devine said donations to the charity weren’t “buried away in the bank account”.
“We had actually run out of sponsorship for the Whanganui Hospital.
“Whanganui is so dear to our heart and we wanted to keep being able to get parcels in there. Out of this [fundraiser], we managed to make 70.
“They’re not just craft boxes, either. They aid the kids’ mental health, there’s the play aspect, and they help the nurses develop relationships with the kids as well.”
A year on, Marcel is all clear, but because the tumour leaked he needs to have three-monthly scans to see if anything else is growing.
