Cancer Patient Support Society created by fifth-grader

It isn’t often one meets a kid like Gabriel Woods. At 10 years old, he already has his career mapped out. But on his journey toward adulthood, Woods started a program that has become far more successful than he ever dreamed it would.

A Sandy Valley fifth-grader, Woods established the Cancer Patient Support Society about a year ago to make and send get-well cards to cancer patients, starting with the Taussig Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton, where his mother worked as a nurse at the time.

“Because my mom worked at the cancer center, I was just thinking one day, ‘Wouldn’t it be hard to be a cancer patient?’” Woods said. “As a Christian I want to get involved and try to help people.”

Woods credits his school and his church, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bolivar, for giving his idea the wings to fly. “They gave cards and donated supplies,” Woods said. “We even had a card-making party. It was awesome.”

From there Woods asked his mother Meghan to show his notes on the project to her boss at the hospital. She agreed.

“I actually got a letter back saying she wanted to meet with me to discuss my idea,” Gabriel Woods said. “She approved it for me to come and distribute cards, and she also got in touch with people at the Taussig Cancer Center at the main Cleveland Clinic campus to have me pitch my idea to them as well.”

Meghan and Gabriel’s father Aaron Woods say the idea for CPSS was all Gabriel’s, and they were not at all surprised by it.

“That’s just him,” Meghan Woods said. “I was surprised by the reaction of the people who took time to listen to him. He really did it on his own. All we can do is kind of stand by and support him and try to organize things.”

Aaron Woods agreed. “He’s keeping us busy. I enjoyed the card-making party. I haven’t made a lot of cards, but I think I made some pretty good ones there.”

A package deal

To help people create cards, Gabriel Woods assembles card kits containing all the items needed. “There are 10 blank cards and 10 notes, instructions, four pieces of regular card stock, and four pieces of decorative card stock,” Gabriel Woods said.

The kits also contain a number of stickers and other decorative items. Meghan Woods said the money to continue producing kits comes from grateful patients, people in the church and other sources.

“There is also someone in our church who works for Thrivent, and Thrivent donated $250 that helped us pay for the card-making party,” Gabriel Woods said.

In addition to sending shipments of cards he collects from supporters, Gabriel Woods meets with patients at the hospital in Canton when he can.

“I talk to them because it’s not only giving them the card that makes them feel good; it’s actually talking to them, and personally, I love to talk,” Gabriel Woods said.

One would think visiting cancer patients would be a heavy burden for a 10-year-old to carry, but Gabriel Woods takes it in stride.

“It can be hard, though, like when they end up getting done with their treatment,” he said. “It’s a good thing, but also a bad thing because it’s like, ‘Man, I’m never gonna see them again.’”

Future plans

Gabriel Woods would like to expand the CPSS to the hospital where his mother will soon be working, if they’ll agree to it.

“My passion in life is to try to help people,” Gabriel Woods said. “And from things you see every day, I think some people are just very selfish, and I want to be different than that.”

Gabriel Woods said the staff at the hospital have reached out to other churches that have joined in the mission of CPSS and are making and sending cards.

Named by his parents for the archangel Gabriel in the Bible, the Woods say their son has been a true gift to them. They also say their Christianity has played a large role in the person their son is becoming. Gabriel Woods agreed his faith is a huge part of why he started the program.

“I just feel like people need Jesus,” he said. “During our card-making party, we gave people a list of Bible verses and encouraged them to include them in the cards. I believe the Bible can really help people, and I just like having that community, almost like a church family.”

Pastor Mike Pozzuto from the St. Paul Lutheran Church said Gabriel is very involved in the church. “He’s exciting to be around and is an amazing kid,” he said.

As for his own future, Gabriel Woods has a plan — and a backup. He wants to be an endocrinologist, with a fallback plan to be involved in music.

“I play guitar, ukulele and I play baritone in the school band. I’m also teaching myself to play piano. I’ve also been thinking about oncology lately, but I’ll probably be an endocrinologist because it has been my passion since I was 4,” he said.

He may be an only child, but Gabriel Woods said he considers his Norwegian Elkhound Goliath to be his brother. “I like playing with him. I also like swimming a lot, so when I get older and we have a swim team in high school, I want to be on it,” he said.

The success of his idea took Gabriel Woods by surprise. “I was just going to make some cards and take them over to the hospital, but it’s a lot more than that now. And I’m very surprised,” he said.

Those wishing to participate in sending get-well cards to cancer patients through CPSS can mail cards to the St. Paul Lutheran Church, 156 Poplar St., Bolivar, OH 44612. Cards also can be sent directly to the Taussig Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, 1320 Mercy Drive, Canton, OH 44708.