 | | | Miramonte High School student Vinny Yu smiles with a collection of letters destined for pediatric cancer patients. Photo provided | | | | | | A few months ago, Miramonte student Vinny Yu, after hearing stories from young cancer patients at a camp last summer, was determined to do anything he could to help.
"At first, I wanted to wait until I was experienced enough to make a change on the medical side of things. However, in January I realized that I did not need medical skills to make a difference for patients," Yu said. "Positivity can make a huge impact for such a mentally exhausting battle, and it struck me that I could bring the?positivity?of my community to the patients." Yu decided to base his project around letters, as they were accessible for anyone to make, while also having the flexibility to be a creative drawing or a heartfelt message. He contacted local elementary schools and while he was unsure of the number of students involved, three schools participated (Glorietta, Sleepy Hollow, and Del Rey), according to Yu, with "a whopping 595 letters written, as well as a mind-blowing 1,006 pieces of origami hearts from one Sleepy Hollow class."
Glorietta Librarian Anne Lowell says she can't say enough good things about what Yu has done. "We are lucky to have him in our community; he's a great kid, and a real asset to the community." |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA