Nicky’s Toy Chest: Bringing Joy to Kids at CHOP & Jersey Shore

Toy Drive Drop-off Date: Dec. 9th

Every once in a while, you meet a child whose spirit reminds you what real strength looks like. For the Woman’s Club of Red Bank, that reminder comes from four-year-old Nicholas—affectionately known as Nicky—the nephew of one of our members, Joanne Farina.

In May 2025, Joanne’s family received news no family is ever prepared for: Nicky had been diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called severe aplastic anemia. What followed was a summer filled with hospital stays at Jersey Shore Medical Center, countless transfusions, exhausting treatment cycles, and eventually two months at CHOP while he underwent a lifesaving bone marrow transplant.

It was a long road for a very little boy—and yet, through it all, he stayed hopeful.

What Helped Him Through the Toughest Days

When Nicky wasn’t feeling well, or when he hit a tough milestone, his nurses would surprise him with a toy. Sometimes it was a small car, sometimes building blocks, sometimes an action figure. These weren’t just toys—they were bright spots in days that felt heavy. They were motivation. They were comfort. They were reminders that even in hard moments, joy can sneak in.

Those small gestures mattered. They carried him.

And now that Nicky is finally home—and doing incredibly well—he wants to pass that same comfort along to the children who are still in the hospital fighting their own battles.

Introducing: Nicky’s Toy Chest

This holiday season, the Woman’s Club of Red Bank is honored to support Nicky’s Toy Chest, a toy drive inspired by one brave little boy with a big heart.

The goal:

Make sure every child at CHOP and Jersey Shore Medical Center has a toy waiting for them on the days they need it most—whether they just crushed a test, reached a milestone, or simply need a little pick-me-up.

How You Can Help

We’re collecting new, unwrapped toys for boys and girls ages 2–12.
(One important note: hospitals can’t accept stuffed animals for medical-safety reasons.)

If you’d like to contribute, drop your toy donation off at the Woman’s Club of Red Bank during our designated collection dates (Nov. 11th & Dec. 9th). Anything you choose—big or small—will make an impact.

Why This Matters

When you’re a child in the hospital for weeks or months at a time, the world becomes very small. A toy may feel like a simple thing to us, but to a child fighting a serious illness, it can be powerfully grounding. It’s joy in the middle of uncertainty. It’s hope in motion.

And coming from Nicky—a child who’s walked this road himself—it carries even more meaning.

Let’s make sure every child still in the hospital knows they’re not forgotten—and that better days are coming.

Together, we can help Nicky fill those toy chests and brighten hundreds of little hearts.