They are cute. They are colorful. They are a way to cure kids' worries when they go into the hospital.
"The nurses love it!" says Alma Rivera. "They love to have them because they say it looks funny walking with the IV pole and the face."
Rivera's daughter was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) five years ago. She's currently in remission and doing great, but while she was in the hospital and getting treatments, Rivera and her daughter came up with a clever idea to make the hospital experience a little less scary.
"She was afraid of the machines. Every time the machines make a sound, she used to get very upset," Rivera said.
With some scissors, some felt, and a whole lot of love, Rivera and different volunteer groups now help create special covers for IV bags. They deliver them to four different Valley hospitals, and to date, have made at least 2,000 of them!
"The kids, you get to see the smiles on their faces," Rivera explains. "Then they say, 'I want super heroes! I want a princess!' It was something, I didn't expect, actually."
Alma Rivera, your creations are out of this world! And that's why you are one of Nick's Heroes!
All around us in the Valley, people go above and beyond to help make our community even better. We want to know who they are! Nominate someone today and tell us why they should be one ofNick's Heroes. They could win a $500 gift card from our friends at Valley Toyota Dealers.
