Two local girls are once again reaching out the community for pajamas to donate to children in the hospital this Christmas.
In 2018, on Christmas Eve, Megan Patrick was diagnosed with Leukemia and had to celebrate Christmas in the hospital with no special holiday pajamas. Once she started to feel healthy again, her family started a pajama drive for both the Windsor and London hospitals to ensure all of the kids had Christmas pajamas.
In April 2022, Megan was diagnosed with leukemia for a second time and the pajama campaign was put on hold but in 2023, Megan's friend Lauren Meadows stepped in by asking that in lieu of birthday gifts, friends and family donate pajamas for the kids in the hospital.
In 2023, the two friends donated 500 pairs of pajamas in Windsor, London, Toronto, and Leamington. In 2024, over 600 pairs were donated.
The girls are back once again for their 4th annual Megan & Lauren's Christmas Pajama Extravaganza.
Megan's mom, Mellissa Patrick, says the girls are looking to match last year.
"They want at least 600 or more. They want to get to Toronto... Toronto is a big one, very specific with what we have to give for hospitals and that there's numbers we have to reach, so we're really, really hoping that we're going to be able to do again this year."
She says they really try to spread the donations.
"We do Windsor Regional and we make sure our friends there have their pajamas. We do the Ronald McDonald House in London, we do the Ronald McDonald room in London, LHSC - the children's hospital in London, Toronto Ronald McDonald... we've gone out that way. And then we do Chatham and Leamington as well."
Patrick says the local community is so giving.
"I brag about our community to anyone that will ever listen to me when we're at the hospitals, and just how wonderful our community is and how great our community is, and how much support they've supported us over these years because we would not be here today without the support of our community."
Megan and Lauren recently collected over $1,500 in donations at the Tilbury BIA Christmas Market to purchase pajamas.
Those who are interested in making a donation can e-transfer Mellissa Patrick at: jm.patrick@hotmail.ca or call 519-551-7757 for pick up or a drop off location.
Donations will be accepted until December 15.