EVENTS

Update March 2009

The Mikey’s Way Foundation, along with his family, have contacted several hospitals to make donations to the oncology playrooms in honor of Mikey’s birthday.

Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, New Haven, CT. The oncology floor received new release teen and Disney movies,games for Playstation 3 and Wii, Guitar Hero, 2-26 flat screen TV’s, teen CD’s, Epson Photo Lab Printer, with ink and paper, docking station for iPOD, Dell desktop computer, flat screen monitor, and printer, portable DVD players and more.

Update Holiday 2008

Mikey’s passing was a tremendous loss to his family and friends, but we, as his family, promised to carry on his legacy by continuing The Mikey’s Way Foundation. Since we didn’t feel up to visiting the hospitals ourselves this holiday season we got in touch with the Pediatric Oncology Child Life Specialists and sent packages of items requested for their playrooms and for individual children as well.

Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, received several PSP’s with games, video iPods, iTune cards, portable DVD players with movies, and more.

The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY, also received several PSP’s with games, video iPods, iTune cards, portable DVD players with movies, cameras with photo printers, and more

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, received several portable DVD players with movies and a very generous Toys R Us gift card for every child in-patient over the holiday.

On December 20, the Mikey’s Way Foundation visited Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. It was the third time the foundation visited the hospital just before the holidays. We were able to meet a lot of children and their families and explain that Mikey had also been a patient on the same floor in March of 2004. Everyone was so happy to meet Mikey and see how well he was, how far he’d come, and how he was helping others.

November 16, 2007, we paid a visit to The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston MA. Mikey’s Way donated three laptop computers, a digital camera and printer, three potable DVD players and numerous DVD movies and games for various game systems. The donations were made to the Jimmy Fund Clinic, the out-patient clinic for pediatric oncology. The gifts will be used by patients coming in for day treatments.

On May 11th, 2007, the Mikey’s Way Foundation paid a visit to the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAMs), Bronx, NY. We were able to spend time with many of the children and their families and make their time during treatment a little more pleasant.

In honor of Michael’s 18th birthday the Mikey’s Way Foundation paid a visit to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, March 20, 2007. Mikey was able to make many children happy with their new gifts, but even more importantly, he was able to give hope to families in distress.

Mikey and his family paid a visit to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital on December 24, 2006. The kids and their families were very happy to see Mikey, and be able to chose gifts, at this difficult time. The Foundation also donated an XBOX 360, and games, to the playroom of the oncology/hematology floor. Mikey’s visit put smiles on many faces this holiday season.

In September, 2006, The Mikey’s Way Foudation got a request from PCMH Regional Rehabilitation Center, Greenville, North Carolina, for games and activities for their playroom. Mikey shopped with a friend and sent over $1200 worth of Playstation 2s and games, DVD players and movies, and more new electronics to entertain children.

In July, 2006, the Mikey’s Way Foundation visited Schneider Children’s Hospital, New Hyde Park, NY. We were able to put many smiles on the faces of children in treatment and their caregivers.

The Mikey’s Way Foundation made a second visit to Women and Children’s Hospital Buffalo, NY, on June 14, 2006. At that time Mikey had the honor of presenting Judge Jospeh Mattina (Ret.) with the Wishmaker 2006 award, presented by the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Western New York.

On May 18, 2006 the Mikey’s Way Foundation visited the Alfred I. Dupont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE. The first stop was the day hospital distributing gifts to children in for daily treatment. We visited with children from age 2 to 19. The most popular gifts were iPods, leap pads, and Sony PSP’s. We then visited all the children on the in-patient floor. There were chidren ranging in age from 3 days old to 22 years old. Since there were several infants on the in-patient side, the baby bear with the taped sounds of the mother’s womb were particularly popular. It was gratifying to see children get up out of their beds to meet us with the Game Cart. For some children it was the first time their families have seen them smile in a long time.

On March 7, there was another Mikey’s Way Day at Minneapolis Children’s Hospital. This time, we set up in the playroom. We unloaded all the gifts onto tables and the kids lined up to come in. Their eyes widened as they saw the spread of the usual Mikey’s Way games and electronics. They were very appreciative and the nurses couldn’t stop saying how they’ve never seen the kids so excited. We did visit a couple kids in their rooms who had been in the hospital for a long time, or were going into transplant soon. We wanted them to have some good stuff to pass the time in transplant, which is usually about a month in the hospital. One child who the nurses said doesn’t smile that often was definitely smiling about his new PSP.

On March 3, we had a Mikey’s Way Day in Denver, Colorado at Denver Children’s Hospital. First, we went to the outpatient side where there were over twenty kids in one large room receiving infusions for the day.

We certainly caused a welcome stir when we walked in with several red wagons full of great gifts. Many of the children seemed instantly relieved at the sight of a new PSP or DVD player or LeapPad or whatever they wanted. One little girl in particular was upset about having to take a couple pills but as soon as she saw her brand new LeapPad, she couldn’t wait to just take the medicine and start playing. After, we went to the in-patient floor. I was able to visit with many kids in transplant and recovery. The PSP was a popular item, as many of the kids were teenagers. It seemed as though they temporarily forgot about their ailment and their hospital stay as they passed time having fun. The mission of the Mikey’s Way Foundation was fulfilled.

We had Mikey’s Way Valentine’s Day at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on February 14, 2006 and gave out gifts to to over 35 kids and young adults who are currently admitted cancer treatment patients. The most popular among the teens and young adults were the ipods, DVD players with movies, and digital cameras. The younger set choose leap pads with games, and those in between choose Sony PSP’s with games and movies.

A second Mikey’s Way Day was held Thursday, January 19, 2006 at Yale New Haven’s Children’s Hospital, New Haven, CT. Electronic hand-held games, DVD players and movies, iPODs with itune gift cards, leap pads and digital cameras were distributed by Michael to children on the oncology floor. Two Playstation 2 consoles with games, and an XBOX console, with games, were donated to the hospital playroom.

The first Mikey’s Way Day was held Friday, December 9, 2005 at Buffalo Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Buffalo, NY. More than 40 electronic and hand-held video games were distributed by Michael to hospitalized pediatric cancer and chronically ill children ranging in age from 8 weeks to 19 years old. In addition, the foundation donated two laptop computers, two color printers and two digital cameras for the hospital playroom.