Mom Of Nine Gives Back To Hospital That Saved Her Daughter

ChumCity Christmas Wish

And then there’s Tanya Costa.

The Toronto mother has her own pet cause during the holiday season, and despite a busy schedule, nothing gets in the way of her carrying it our every year. And we mean nothing – Tanya has nine children.

She enlists them as her elves as she tries to pay back The Hospital for Sick Children for a Christmas gift that’s beyond price – the life of one of her daughters.

Cynthia Costa battled leukemia when she was just three years old. It took at least that many years for the sick little girl to beat the disease, but today, the child is nine – and she’s in good health.

Which is what brought Tanya back to the place where the pair spent so many hours praying for a miracle that finally came true.

“We owe so much,” she says now, the memories still strong. “I mean we owe her life.”

So every year, she gathers toy donations from her own kids and their school and takes them down to the University Ave. institution so they can be given out to young cancer patients who won’t be home for the holidays.

This year, she has 35 kids on her list.

And she won’t let anything get in the way of her Santa-like mission. “Really I have enough to do but this is like a big priority for us,” she maintains. “I mean this means a lot, not just for the kids there but to us, too.”

 The hospital appreciates the gesture. “All the smiles that you’re bringing for the holidays,” marvels spokeswoman Jessica Miller as the toy parade troops through the corridors. “This is awesome, guys!”

And Tanya will continue to be “awesome” for many Christmases to come. She says she simply can’t imagine not helping out – and she intends to do it every December “as long as she has breath”.

The HSC can always use more help. To see what kind of items they need, click here.

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