That Girl’s Blog: Cole’s Socks For Smiles

Have you ever noticed that the simplest gestures can bring out the biggest smiles? Something as simple as a pair of fun fuzzy socks can turn around an otherwise intolerable day. Not only is it possible, but it’s happening for children spending time away from home and school. These children are patients at Boston Children’s Hospital.

There is a young man from here on Cape Cod who is trying to share smiles with a simple idea: collect fun colorful socks for all of the children at Boston Children’s Hospital. Why socks? Because it’s one of the things Cole looks forward to when he spends time at BCH. Sadly, Cole and his mother learned that the person who used to collect and donate socks for the children was no longer running the program. Cole was given one of the last pairs of socks during one of his most recent visits to the hospital.

Cole at Boston Children’s Hospital

Cole has epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder, the hallmark of which is unprovoked seizures. Cole can go several days without a seizure, or suffer several seizures in a day. Seizures can be frightening. Cole has been through numerous tests and several different medications attempting to find the cause and hopefully control his seizures. He has already missed several days of school because of his epilepsy, but he isn’t letting that keep him from cracking a joke when given the chance. 

You may have heard about Cole and his sock drive through a Facebook post that went up few weeks ago. His goal was to collect 500 pairs of socks in time for the holidays. I am happy to tell you that he has already passed his goal.

I had the opportunity to meet Cole in person at the Harwich Hometown Parade. The Harwich DPW decorated one of their trucks with huge brightly colored signs and collected socks for Cole’s cause. At the end of the parade, as the large green truck pulled into the school parking lot, I heard a woman say “Cole, that’s your truck!” and a slender boy in a baseball cap came out to walk behind the truck for a little while. Cole’s family was clearly overwhelmed.

We have a great community here on the Cape. I understand that the generosity of our community has stretched across the Cape, across the state and beyond! In fact, “Cole’s Socks For Smiles” has already started making arrangements to deliver socks to children’s programs here on the Cape, in addition to Boston Children’s Hospital!

Would you like to help? New in-package socks for children of all ages, infant to young adult, can be dropped off at the Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak Street, Harwich, MA 02645 (or mailed to the center if you prefer).  All donated socks must be in BY October 1, 2019

Many families from the Cape have made both emergency and long term visits to Boston Children’s Hospital.

Here is little more information from the Boston Children’s Hospital website: Boston Children’s Hospital is a non-profit hospital. They are New England’s regional referral pediatric center and a safety net hospital for the most critically ill children and those from low-income families. Boston Children’s Hospital partners with the community to address the most pressing health care needs in surrounding neighborhoods. The hospital trains more pediatricians and has the largest research program of any other pediatric hospital. As a not-for-profit, all of the hospital’s resources go toward supporting these goals.

If you’d like more information about “Cole’s Socks For Smiles” or if you have a story to share, please email me: [email protected] 

About Cat Wilson

Cat Wilson is "That Girl" on Cape Country 104 – a Cape Cod native and longtime Cape radio personality. She is a passionate supporter of Military and Veteran causes on the Cape and also hosts local music spotlight program, “The Cheap Seats” on Ocean 104.7.



CapeCod.com
737 West Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Contact Us | Advertise Terms of Use 
Employment and EEO | Privacy