Good things come in small packages

Rocco Ciccantelli saved his pennies to donate to ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute “to help people.”  He traveled today from his home in Pennsville, New Jersey, to Newark, Delaware with his coins safely stored in a plastic bag marked “cancer center.” His total in change was $7.02.

Nora Katurakes, MSN, RN, OCN, manager of Community Health Outreach and Education at the Graham Cancer Center, was giving out hot chocolate to patients and staff to celebrate the first day of winter when Rocco arrived.

The news that his donation would help pay for the hot chocolate put big smile on the third grader’s face.

Everyone, especially kids, knows how hot chocolate makes you feel better.

Rocco has been on sports teams where they wear pink socks to support breast cancer awareness, and he knows family members and acquaintances who’ve had cancer.

Also inspired by his grandmother, Cindy Waddington, MSN, RN, AOCN, NE-BC, who is clinical director of the cancer program, Rocco saved his coins to present to Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director of the Graham Cancer Center.

Dr. Petrelli gave Rocco a Graham Cancer Center hat and shared the story of Helen F. Graham and how she – like Rocco — wanted to help people and how, due to her generosity, our cancer program exists today.

Learn more about the Graham Cancer Center here.