SALEM, Va. – Parker Coleman is remembered by his family as a superhero.
“He loved superheroes more than anything, especially Captain America,” said Sarah Coleman, Parker’s mom.
Parker passed away when he was four years old in 2017 due to Leigh’s Disease.
“It’s a mitochondrial disorder, so his body pretty much can’t produce enough energy to sustain,” Coleman said.
Now six years later, his mom fights to keep his memory alive — Parker Style.
“His birthday and the day he passed are a week apart, so it’s obviously a very tough time of year for us. This toy drive gives us a reason to celebrate,” Coleman said.
What started as a small toy drive back in 2018 has now turned into over 3,000 donations — all going to children at Carilion.
Child life specialist at Carilion Sarah Kress said these donations make all the difference for children at the hospital.
“It brings a sense of normalcy and something that they really love that they really love that they can be excited to receive,” Kress said.
Coleman knows the impact firsthand.
“You can never truly imagine how exhausting it is as a parent to be in the hospital with your child, especially when you don’t understand exactly what’s happening,” Coleman said.
They have collected over 500 toys so far this year, with three collection sites full of toys they haven’t counted yet.
“It’s refreshing to see how much people are willing to give back, once you give them the means to do it,” she said.
You can donate up until Aug. 7, what would have been Parker’s tenth birthday.
Donations are being collected at Big Lick Comics in Roanoke, The Christiansburg Fire Station and Awful Arthurs in Salem.
