Brandon Garbett said he wants children with illnesses to know someone cares about them, particularly USFSP students.
Just down the road from USF St. Petersburg, children with life-threatening illnesses lay in sterilized beds at All Children’s Hospital, where some will spend most of their lives. USFSP student Brandon Garbett is distraught over this fact.
Garbett wants to help these children with terminal illnesses, and, to do so, is initiating a project called “Love Letters,” in which USFSP students will gather once a month to write letters to terminally ill children at All Children’s Hospital and St. Anthony’s Hospital.
Garbett hopes to start the project soon but is waiting to hear from the hospitals again before officially beginning.
As a child, Garbett watched his mother interact with friends whose children had severe illnesses. Two of the children he knew passed away at young ages.
One of his sister’s classmates was 16 years old when he passed away. Garbett remembers his sister’s class writing letters to the boy often, which inspired him to start “Love Letters.”
Garbett said he always wanted to do something for critically ill children, but he never had the time to put his plan into action. This semester, he began to work for Student Government and USFSP Connect. He realized he had the time and connections to make the “Love Letters” project happen.
Through the project, he hopes children with illnesses will realize people care about them, particularly USFSP students.
Garbett went to St. Anthony’s and All Children’s and connected with the public relations workers there. He plans to deliver the letters to the hospitals but doesn’t know if he will be able to enter the ward and personally deliver them to the children.
He hopes students can one day have an event, such as a pizza party or an ice cream social, with the children, but he knows he must continue to establish relationships with the hospitals first.
Garbett said he does not want to attach the initiative to a club or organization on campus, fearing it will get lost within the organization, or appear as a publicity stunt. He also wants to avoid the judgment that he is trying to benefit himself through the campaign.
He has, however, sought help from organizations and leaders on campus, including Dustin Pankow, the manager of social media for the University Student Center and USFSP. Pankow leads USFSP Connect and advised Garbett on effective ways to produce the campaign.
Garbett said the more letters students write, the more children will realize that USFSP cares.
“We’re not a college town, but this college is definitely a part of St. Pete,” he said.
Students interested in participating in “Love Letters” can contact Garbett at garbett@mail.usf.edu.
