Williamsburg family gives back to local hospital to keep son’s memory alive
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) — One family is trying to give back this season in honor of a loved one.
10-year-old Josh Peck was a unique kid with a love for all things classic — from cars, to computers and video games. He died last Dec. 30, 2022, at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, or CHKD, of complications from bacterial meningitis, now his family is giving back.
Family members said whenever they’re feeling sad, they think about the happy memories Josh brought them such as carrying around the lost and found box at school to help reunite people with their things, or helping kids in the computer lab at school.
They said he’d be pretty proud to see all the gifts donated to CHKD in his memory. There were car loads of donations carrying dozens of boxes, all filled to the top with blankets, games, monster trucks and Barbie dolls — all to give back to kids spending the holidays in the hospital.
The Peck Family spent Christmas at CHKD last year while the 10-year-old was dealing with a case of meningitis.
“Everyone talks about grieving and coping, but you never actually reach that finalized state and every time you think about it its always a surprise,” said Matt, Josh’s dad. “I can’t believe he’s not here anymore.”
During his life, Josh made a huge impact on everyone he met.
“I think all of these donations just are evidence of that,” Chaplain Kit Tate said. “The community is reaching out and saying, ‘Yep, Josh would like this. This is what he would have done.'”
In only a few weeks, they collected 1,218 items including: 309 blankets, 555 toys and games, and 98 stuffed animals for kids in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit this Christmas.
“We were not really prepared initially with the amount of support that came out of the community, and we probably should’ve been, given the amount of support we got when everything happened this time last year,” Matt said.
There were boxes placed at local businesses, like OrangeTheory Fitness Williamsburg and Newport News, and an Amazon Wishlist filled with toys Josh would approve of.
“There were so many hand held video games, card games, things that he would enjoy,” said Josh’s mother, Christina.
They also collected 256 Christmas decorations to help make rooms brighter this holiday season. All to help make an impact on families going through tough times.
“It’s hard enough to be in the hospital over the holidays,” said Tate. “But when you’re sick or hurt, and it just really brings a bright spot on their day.”
Matt and Christina said when they were here last Christmas, the toys, blankets and holiday decorations in Josh’s room meant so much to them. Josh’s brother, James, even got a few toys too.
“When we were here over Christmas last year, they were so kind and provided us with blankets and toys and decorations for the room and it really, I mean it meant the world, because when you are dealing with something like that, to kind of add some kind of normalcy, it was so touching for us,” said Matt.
So they wanted to give back to a place that provided them comfort during their hardest days.
“We’ll always be connected to this hospital,” said Christina. “They’ll always have a place in our heart because this is where Josh was.”
And they’re already providing comfort one blanket “from Josh” at a time.
“She said it just felt like a hug from somebody knowing that somebody cared about her that she didn’t even know meant a lot,” said Tate.
As they continue “Ridin’ with Josh” working to spread kindness today and every day.
“James said it best,” said Christina. “Josh would be so proud of us, and he would be, he would be so proud of us.”
The Peck Family established a foundation in Josh’s Honor, called “The Joshua Chamberlain Project.”
They plan to continue to do kind things and give back in Josh’s honor to help his legacy live on.
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