Most six-year-olds with around $200 are looking at ways to spend it as fast as they can on whatever they can think of at the time.
But Natalie Guzwell, who also had around $200 to her name earlier this month, thought of ways she could use that money to brighten some days at Stanton Territorial Hospital.
Guzwell handed over a donation to the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation earlier this week consisting of colouring books, pencils and markers for the hospital’s pediatrics unit.
She said she simply had an urge to help the kids.
“Some of them are struggling,” she said. “I just felt like I wanted to do it.”
Renee Mayne, Natalie’s mother, said her daughter came up with the idea all on her own.
“Right out of the blue,” she said. “She had saved up around $200 of her own and hanged on to it. I thought (there’s) no better way to spend it than to help out children.”
The family lives across from Patty Olexin-Lang, executive director of the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation. A chance conversation between Guzwell and Olexin-Lang turned into what Guzwell could do to help out.
“Natalie came around the house selling Girl Guide cookies one day,” said Olexin-Lang. “She asked me what she could buy to help out the kids at the hospital. I just said, ‘What?’ I spoke to her mom and told her I could help her out. It was the first time I had ever been approached from someone so young to buy something.”
Olexin-Lang said she spoke with staff in the pediatrics unit to get an idea of what would be best suited to have as gifts.
“Books are always the best because they’re easily stored and the kids can keep them there and use them whenever,” she said.
Once the shopping list was made, it was off to the store to get everything.
“Natalie took the whole thing on herself,” said Mayne. “She knew what she wanted to get and put it all together to take to Patty and (Natalie) got a big hug when she dropped everything off.”
Seeing her daughter take this on was a sense of pride for Mayne — she said it was a way for her to see how people appreciate small acts of kindness.
“I’m so proud that she thought of others,” she said. “For a six-year-old to think of something on her own was so generous and I hope it’s something she continues.”
Olexin-Lang said she hopes Guzwell keeps it up.
“It’s all about giving back,” she said. “No matter the age, kindness is always needed.”
Guzwell is already thinking about her next donation and it could come very soon.
“I want to do it again for Christmas,” she said.