When Annistyn Kooistra was sick with a blood infection, she spent two weeks at Avera Children's Hospital and had two surgeries to clear infections in her hip and her ankle.
To keep her motivated to take her medicine and do her exercises, Annistyn’s team made her a prize chart. For every five tasks she completed, she got to pick out a toy from the Treasure Chest.
“As a mom, I really appreciated that the nurses saw that drive in her and knew that the Treasure Chest was something that would help motivate her to get better faster,” said Annistyn’s mom, Judy.
At the end of Annistyn’s hospital stay, the family wanted to do something to give back. The idea came to hold a lemonade stand to raise money for the Treasure Chest, replenishing the toys Annistyn got to take home.
The Rock Valley family lives down the street from the annual Thunder in the Valley Tractor Pull, giving Annistyn the perfect place to set up shop.
With the help of two neighborhood friends, Annistyn sold lemonade and several other fun items.
“We had cookies, bracelets, stickers, keychains, face paint and tattoos,” Annistyn said.
Many tractor pullers stopped by — some of them more than once — to support Annistyn’s stand, and a local car dealership dropped off a check to help the effort.
“It wasn't just our little town. Family and friends from other states also contributed,” said Judy.
In total, $1,000 was raised for new toys.
Highlights for Annistyn were getting to pick out the toys and delivering them at her last follow-up appointment with her infectious disease doctor and orthopedic surgeon.
“When we brought the gifts, a lot of the nurses she knew were on shift, which was fun,” Judy said. “They still remembered her.”
Judy and Annistyn hope the gifted toys help keep kids busy and give them comfort during their hospital stays.
“Avera means a lot to us,” Judy said. “We went through a lot with Annistyn while we were there, so we just wanted to be able to give back in a small way.”
