Make-A-Wish New Jersey Beneficiary Donates to K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital   

Make-A-Wish New Jersey Beneficiary Donates to K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital

October 15, 2020

Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health’s K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center received a PlayStation game console and large screen HD TV from Make-A-Wish New Jersey beneficiary Niko Picchierri and his family; mom and dad Diane and Paul and sister Taylor, of Howell, NJ.

Niko is battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma and recently went back into active chemo treatment for the second time at the children’s hospital. His wish was for an online shopping spree – he wanted to get electronics of his own, including a brand new PlayStation, a new Mac laptop, and a new iPhone. However, Niko knew he also wanted to take the opportunity to give back to the hospital that took care of him during treatments.

“I’m positive our pediatric patients will love the new game console and large screen TV,” said Vice President, Operations and Support Services, Jersey Shore University Medical Center Annamarie Cutroneo, MHA, CXPX, who accepted the gifts along with physicians and nurses from the children’s hospital. “We are grateful for Niko’s thoughtful and generous gifts. What an extraordinary young man to think of others as part of his wish.”

Niko and his family often discussed how impactful additional items would be for kids in active treatment, so Niko made sure to dedicate some of his wish funds to purchase the items, to be installed at the children’s hospital for their pediatric patients.

“Moments like this remind us of not only how resilient and courageous our wish kids are, but also how selfless they are, too. Niko has had to face the devastating realities of a life-threatening medical condition – and he’s now bravely facing it again. Niko chose to set aside a part of his wish to give to other kids who might need a smile. Acts of kindness like Niko’s inspire us and the community daily,” said Make-A-Wish New Jersey, President & CEO Tom Weatherall. “This September our organization surpassed a global milestone – 500,000 wishes granted since our mission began in 1980. These wish children are most often referred to us by their medical teams. How grateful we are to partners like K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, for the care they give to kids like Niko, and for referring their patients to our mission. While wishes involving travel have been postponed for the health and safety of our wish families, wishes like Niko’s are being granted every day across the country and around the world. Wishes are not cancelled. We will continue to provide hope to kids when they need it most.”

For more information about Make-A-Wish New Jersey, visit nj.wish.org. To learn more about K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, visit www.khovnanianchildrenshospital.com.

About Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health

Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health provides the most comprehensive and highest level of quality care to young patients in the state of New Jersey. The children’s network is comprised of two children’s hospitals – Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune – and a large network of pediatric subspecialists and pediatricians. Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health hospitals are the only two in New Jersey ranked among the top 50 in the nation for pediatric cancer care by U.S. News and World Report. Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital also ranks among the top 50 in the nation for pediatric neurology and neurosurgery. Visit www.hackensackmerdianhealth.org/kids for more information about Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health.

About Make-A-Wish® New Jersey

Make-A-Wish New Jersey creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. In the fight against a critical illness, a wish serves as a catalyst for renewed strength and encouragement for every child and family on their journey. A wish helps kids look past their limitations, families overcome anxiety and entire communities experience joy. Most importantly, wishes can improve a child’s quality of life. Put simply, we believe a single wish transforms lives. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, with 60 chapters serving children in every community in the United States and its territories, and nearly 40 international affiliates serving children on five continents. Make-A-Wish New Jersey was founded in 1983. Serving children in every municipality in the Garden State, Make-A-Wish New Jersey has granted over 11,000 wishes since its inception. For more information about Make-A-Wish New Jersey, call 800-252-WISH or visit nj.wish.org and discover how you can help transform lives, one wish at a time.

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