Rena fell in love with The Jester Has Lost His Jingle at 4, when she was a patient at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia being treated for cancer.
After she received her donated copy, her mom sent us this email: “Rena, who is currently undergoing treatment for Stage IV Wilms tumor, a pediatric kidney cancer, has totally latched on to The Jester Has Lost His Jingle and has memorized it in the two short months I’ve been reading it to her at night before bed. It’s amazing how quickly she memorized this book, and how much it means to her, and to me.”
Rena loved the story so much that she wanted to share it with others. She insisted that child life specialists let her read it to students at a nearby school. So with an oxygen tube in her nose and a hand-knitted little pink cap on her bald head, Rena sat in front of a class of second graders, twice her size and age, and “read” the story.
Now, at 13, Rena is a spectacular reader. Her mom sent us a note along with the picture below: “I guess her early love of ‘reading’ with The Jester was a peek into her future. Rena is an avid reader and devours books whenever and wherever she can.”
We welcome donations of any amount to bring The Jester’s smile to children with cancer.
