There are stacks of puzzles, board games, paints, Play-Doh, and toys of nearly all shapes and sizes. This year, Malea is giving back. By way of family, friends, and even her grandmother’s bowling league, Malea is collecting toys for patients at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Brent’s Place—a long-term "home away from home" for children and families with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. The home provides Safe-Clean Housing for patients with compromised immune systems while they are in treatment at local hospitals. 

Malea knows in her heart just how much each toy will mean to the children who receive them.  

“When I was in Children’s Hospital and Brent’s Place, I received a lot of gifts that made me feel so glad that I didn’t want to leave. And now it’s my turn to give back,” Malea said. She and her parents spoke with Rocky Mountain PBS via Zoom in an effort to be extra cautious and to keep Malea safe from possible virus exposure. 

Malea was born with a rare blood disorder that prevented her body from making T cells—essentially, she had a severely weakened immune system.  At just six-months-old, she underwent a bone marrow transplant, chemotherapy, and was in medical isolation for a very long time. Malea and her mom, Melissa, were at Children’s Hospital Colorado for a total of 172 days. Family members were able to stay nearby at Brent’s Place, where they also received hot meals. 

“The staff there is so amazing and so supporting.  We can’t say enough about Brent’s Place and our bone marrow transplant team at Children’s Hospital. We are where we are today because of them,” said Melissa Perea-Martinez.