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11-year-old former Children’s Hospital of Michigan patient gives back to kids at facility
July 25, 2023
(Appeared on Local 4 News Detroit)
Sophia’s Rainbow donating 1,100 toys to patients
DETROIT – An 11-year-old former patient at Children’s Hospital of Michigan is giving back to other kids who are now at the facility.
Sophia Killingbeck, 11, has had a hard journey, but still she’s paying it forward and helping Santa come to town early for the fifth annual Christmas in July program with Sophia’s Rainbow.
“I want to give back what the hospital gave me,” Sophia said. “It makes me feel like we’re actually doing something to help.”
Back in 2016, Sophia was suffering from a neurological disorder that prevented her from speaking and left her paralyzed. Now that she’s made a full recovery, she’s dedicated her time to helping other patients.
“When we were in the hospital, it was long, tedious days,” her mother, Kristy, said. “It was stressful in a lot of ways. It was boring, at times.
Kristy said Sophia’s Rainbow is donating around 1,100 toys to about 150 patients.
“The ability to bring smiles to hundreds of children today and for the months to come is heartwarming for us,” Kristy said.
What’s left over will go to the hospital for children in the future.
“They know how it is to see kids everyday feel like they’re defeated and that they can’t have a normal life,” Sophia said. “But with one little toy, it could change the perspective of who they are and also what they
can do.”
Sophia's rainbow holds Christmas in July
July 26, 2022
(Appeared on Local 4 News Detroit)
A local 10-year-old spent the last year collecting new toys to give children at the hospital. This initiative started in 2016 when Sophia herself fell ill with a rare neuro immune disorder.
9-year-old girl helps collect, deliver toys to Children’s Hospital of Michigan
July 26, 2021
(Appeared on Local 4 News Detroit)
During the holidays the hospital receives a lot of donations, but those donations start to run low in the summer. That’s why Sophia Killingbeck is hoping to make a difference.
Five years ago, Sophia Killingbeck spent her entire summer inside the hospital.
“She was completely paralyzed, blind, unable to speak and had lost all cognitive skills,” her mother Kristy Killingbeck said.
Sophia Killingbeck made a full recovery. Now, she likes to give back to the hospital every year through the hospital’s Christmas in July program.
Sophia Killingbeck said the toys and artwork helped her feel better.
“Every time I got a present I felt like I wasn’t alone,” Sophia Killingbeck said.
She was able to donate an entire truckload of toys this year. Kristy Killingbeck said being back at the hospital brings up a lot of emotions, but she’s thankful to watch her daughter give back.
