These girls wanted to bring a bit of Christmas to kids in hospital

Sometimes, kids spend the Christmas holidays in hospital. But Megan Patrick, 7, and Lauren Meadows, 9, wanted to make things feel a little more like home if they do.

The girls were behind efforts to raise thousands of dollars and collect around 500 pairs of Christmas Eve pyjamas. The donations will go to the children at Windsor Regional Hospital and the Ronald McDonald Houses at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and London Children's Hospital. 

They dropped off the pyjamas at Windsor Regional Hospital on Wednesday.

Lauren said it felt "very good" to know the gifts will make a difference. Megan said it was "amazing."

The project stemmed from the Patrick family's experience. 

Megan's mom, Mellissa Patrick, says she hopes the presents bring a little Christmas magic to the kids.

"It is excruciating to be a parent and your child is in the hospital over Christmas. It is heartbreaking. I hope not one of these pyjamas are used, but I know they will be," said Patrick. "And it's devastating."

She explained that when Megan was diagnosed with leukemia on Christmas Eve in 2018, the family was sent from Windsor to London that same night so Megan could start treatment right away.

"We had nothing with us, nothing on Christmas Eve ... I remember sitting there, I don't have her Christmas Eve pyjamas, and that really broke me," she said.

Once Megan was done treatment, the family started the fundraiser. when Megan relapsed the family paused it for a year.

This year, Lauren wanted to help a cause for her birthday, and she chose Meghan's cause, Patrick explained.

"And Lauren started it up, we put it up online and it just exploded. So yeah, we're very, very proud of this."

Ashley Weeres is the manager of philanthropy at Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation.

"It so heartwarming to see, not just these young kids really step up and give back to those in need during the holiday season but also to see the community really rally behind them and show support for the kids that are undergoing treatment over the holidays," she said.