Turning the Page with Declan

When Declan first entered the hospital, everything changed.

Eight years old and newly diagnosed with leukemia, he had always been a happy, go-lucky kid—quick to dance, play Fortnite, and make people smile. But during those first terrifying days in the hospital, he shut down.

“He didn’t want to talk to anyone,” his mom remembers. “He asked the doctors to leave the room. He didn’t want the nurses poking and prodding. He just wanted to disappear into his video games.”

As the days wore on, Declan became increasingly withdrawn, relying on his handheld gaming device to avoid the world around him. His mother was heartbroken.

Then something unexpected happened.

A teacher from the UNC Hospital School named Ms. Kirsten walked into Declan’s hospital room—not with medicine, but with a book.

A Book Is Never Just a Book

At first, it might not have seemed like much. A lift-the-flap book about the human body. A Minecraft-themed story. A silly Dog Man comic. But each title was carefully chosen to match Declan’s interests—books that spoke to him.

And something shifted.

“He didn’t want to talk to anyone… But she brought books that matched his interests, and he started to open up,” his mom says.

The books became a bridge—between Declan and his mom, between fear and focus, between despair and something like joy. They gave him a reason to look up from the screen. Something to talk about. Something to own.

“They didn’t just help him,” she adds. “She gave me something I could do with my son.”

A Book to Keep

At UNC Hospital School, books aren’t just borrowed—they’re gifts. A long-standing single-use policy, in place even before the pandemic, ensures that each child receives new books they get to keep.

This was no small thing for Declan.

“We still have those books at home,” his mom says. “Sometimes I look at one and think, ‘I remember the day she gave us this.’”

They’re souvenirs of resilience. Reminders that even in the hardest moments, joy and connection are possible.

Turning the Page

Today, Declan is thriving.

He’s finished treatment. He’s back in school. He’s running around at recess, learning German through an app he downloaded himself, and working on piano and guitar. He even wants to run a 5K.

His mom sees a clear thread running from those difficult days in the hospital to the present.

“I definitely think the books had a lasting impact,” she says. “He started wanting to sit down and read more. One day he even wrote his own book report—for fun.”

Help Us Share More Stories

The UNC Hospital School serves more than 4,300 young patients every year. Each one has their own story. Each one deserves a book of their own.

We’re raising $10,000 to keep books on the shelves—and in the hands of the children who need them most.

A book helped Declan turn the page. Let’s make sure every child gets that chance.

To learn more about how to help UNC Hospital School thrive and put more books in the hands of children, contact Mary Gard, Executive Director of Development, Children’s, at [email protected].