The losses of two Cedar Rapids-area families are turning into big gains for sick kids. Two mothers whose young sons recently died of cancer raised money and spent five-thousand dollars on toys this week to donate to the University of Iowa’s Children’s Hospital. Kathy Whiteside, a child life specialist at the hospital, accompanied the women to a Coralville discount-department store. Whiteside says “It’s just an amazing thing that they’re spending this amount of money on the kids at the hospital.” Susan Grosclaude (GRAHS-clod), of Marion, says her son spent time in the hospital and died last year. Grosclaude hopes the toys help make the stay a little nicer for the two-dozen children now being treated for cancer at the Iowa City facility.Grosclaude says “They just need something to make their days better.” Jodie Ries, of Alburnett, was also on the shopping spree. She lost her son to cancer less than three months ago. Ries says she spent a lot of time in the hospital while her son was being treated and knows what might please young patients, buying items from board games to electronics for every age group. Ries says “It’s difficult but we know that it’s something he would want us to do, to give back to the hospital and to the other kids.” While this is the first donation of toys from the group, Ries says it won’t be the last. Two years ago, she and her husband formed the “Aiming For A Cure” foundation, to raise money for such gestures. For more information, surf to “www.aimingforacure.com”.
