NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — Lindsey Pacios’s basement is full of Halloween toys.
“We have a Halloween bin of season items and here’s all of our Halloween stuff,” she said.
But the items aren’t going to kids trick-or-treating in her neighborhood.
“There’s something for everyone, but if I can’t (find) something for someone I will go out and try and buy something to make their package special,” Pacios said.
The 17-year-old North Andover High School senior started a nonprofit five years ago after meeting a girl her age on Instagram who was diagnosed with cancer.
”I just found that so shocking because she was always healthy she was an athlete she ate all organic but she still got cancer and I wanted to help her,” she said.
So Lindsey launched Team Cure. She and her friends volunteer putting together personalized care packages in her parent’s basement for kids and teens with cancer. The packages may include toy cars, stuffed animals, dolls, gift cards and headphones. Everything is donated.
For Alea Ramsey, a 16-year-old high school sophomore in Ohio, who is battling bone cancer, she said receiving the care packages always brightens her mood.
“It was just something that wasn’t expected and it was also very kind and uplifting both at the same time,” Ramsey said.
Lindsey and her team send about 100 care packages a year to kids they connect with on social media. So far they’ve sent 600 in total and they ship near and far.
“We’ve sent to Germany, we sent Croatia, we sent to Australia, the Phillippines just to name a few. And I think Canada as well,” Pacios said.
Each care package is unique and anyone can fill out an application form to request a care package for a child or teen with cancer by clicking here.
If you have a Positively Massachusetts story idea, contact Boston25 anchor Chris Flanagan at PositivelyMA@Boston25.com.
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