A handful of cancer patients at Henry Ford Hospital got a little extra attention on Wednesday.
A troop of Boy Scouts showed up with hand-packed cancer care kits to spread a little extra joy before the Holiday.
Raymond Hickner, a teen trying to earn his Eagle Scout rank, came up with the idea while reading an article published by a Henry Ford oncology certified nurse. The author, Cyndi Ulreich, previously wrote about the needs of cancer patients in a LiveWell blog that the hospital runs.
Hickner said he wanted to do something lasting, and while many of the young men in his troop renovated parks and did things in a physical way, he wanted to leave a mark in a new way.
"I had the chance to make people’s days just a little better and a little more fun especially close to the Holidays," said Hickner.
Daniel Keller was among those that were given a bag of gifts on Thursday. It came as a complete shock.
"What they're doing is important," said Keller.
Asked to show off a few of the items found inside his cancer care kit Keller pulled out comics, candy and a few toys that he said he looked forward to introducing to his grandchild at home.
When he pulled out a Chapstick he and his wife, a former den master herself, started laughing.
"It's on the grocery list!" she said.
"It is, I swear," said Keller, laughing because he had told his wife he needed some less than a few minutes before the Boy Scouts showed up.
Hickner said he learned a lot from the trip, and he hopes that the work leads to his Eagle Scout rank.
At least 12 people received bags of gifts on Thursday. Hickner left a box full of kits for other patients that will come in and out of the hospital for treatment in the future.
