Clayton teen comforts others dealing with loss, gifting hundreds of plush toys this Christmas
CLAYTON, N.C. (WNCN) – A Clayton teen is hoping to provide comfort this holiday season.
15-year-old Sophia Sullivan, a sophomore at Franklin Academy, has been staying extra busy outside of school. For weeks, she’s been stuffing tissue paper and gift bags together, each filled with a special note and stuffed animal inside.
“No matter the gift, as long as it’s given with love, it means something,” Sophia said.
It’s that comforting feeling that’s driven Sophia to collect hundreds of the plush toys to gift to children, local charities and even police departments. She’s been able expand her reach to six counties.
On Wednesday, Sophia and her mom got in their car and traveled to Durham, Wake Forest and North Raleigh to make a special visit to seniors.
“One of the homes that we visited, we spent a little bit of time with a resident– she is 98 years old. Her family is not close by and so this visit for her was important,” Sophia’s mom, MaryJo Birschbach, said.
While the teen is helping those who may be alone this Christmas, Sophia said her mission to collect and deliver the stuffed animals initially started as a way to comfort children who had recently lost a parent or loved one.
Sophia said she wanted to gift the stuffed animals to help ease the pain for what could be one of the hardest times in a person’s life. It’s what someone did for her five years ago when she lost her dad to suicide.
“It was a plushie that was made out of my dad’s shirt and it brought me so much comfort when I was younger… It means a lot to me,” said the teen.
During her visits, Sophia realized something.
“We’ve found as we’ve grown that loss doesn’t come in one shape, everyone experiences some kind of loss and it comes in all different shapes and sizes,” she said.
In a year, Birschbach said her daughter has been able to collect about 2,000 stuffed animals through toy drives and donations from families across the Triangle.
“It’s always emotional. To see your child grow in such a way and find a passion is really a profound experience, I’m just lucky she takes me along for the ride,” said Birschbach. “I think just having the opportunity to have that time is precious, the stuffed animal provides comfort, people need people.”
Sophia hopes by making a special visit and sharing her story she can help others heal and let them know that it does get easier.
You can visit Sophia’s page to learn more about her mission to help others.
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