SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Watching television has proven to be a positive influence on eight-year-old Malayah Grow of Scottsbluff.

In a recent program on The Disney Channel, the third grader learned that it’s better to give than to receive and she put the lesson into action. The Disney program featured a young girl who asked her friends not to bring presents to her birthday party, but instead to bring shoes to donate to the needy. The girl ended up with more than 300 pairs of shoes that she was able to give away.

Inspired, Grow told her grandmother, Pam Nuesca, that she wanted to help needy children, too. Nuesca contacted Connie Rupp, RN, BSN, director of the Birth & Infant Care Center and Pediatrics at Regional West Medical Center to see how they could help pediatric patients.

With suggestions from Rupp, Malayah and her classmates in Cary Laucomer’s Westmoor Elementary class decided to make get well cards for hospitalized children.

“With these, we’ll be able present a handmade get well card to each of our patients, as long as the supply lasts,” said Rupp. “This is a very thoughtful gift from the Westmoor students.”

In addition to the donation from the students, Mayalah’s mother, Jessica, and grandparents purchased a big supply of coloring books and pinwheels that they donated to the Medical Center’ Pediatric unit.

“We use pinwheels and bubbles for pediatric respiratory therapy because it’s easy to encourage children to blow bubbles or pinwheels to exercise their lungs. And of course, coloring is a great activity for hospitalized children,” said Rupp.

The Pediatric unit welcomes donations of the following items: small jars of bubbles; pinwheels; new, family-oriented DVDs; clean, new blankets of all sizes; and new stuffed animals. Stuffed animals that have been used cannot be accepted.

For additional information about donating items to Regional West Medical Center, please contact Connie Ruff, director of Guest Relations, at 308-630-1442.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,800 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, Regional West offers care that spans more than 30 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by The Joint Commission and is one of three Level II Trauma Centers in Nebraska.