Marysville High School senior, Brittany Davis displays hand crated holiday cards created for patients hospitalized at Adventist Health and Rideout. Photo courtesy of Adventist Health

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - The holiday season is often marked by intricately strung Christmas lights, gingerbread houses and festive songs on the radio. For one Marysville High School student, the winter celebrations served as a unique opportunity to spread a special kind of cheer.

Brittany Davis, a senior at Marysville High, recently delivered a bundle of hand-crafted cards, pictures and letters created to bring joy to patients hospitalized at Adventist Health and Rideout. The project was not born from a required school assignment, but rather a genuine desire to extend goodwill to those who needed it most during the holidays.

“I’ve been in the hospital a lot, personally and with family members,” Davis said. “I’ve seen a lot of patients and people that were alone. I felt like, since it is the holiday season, that I want to be that person that says ‘Hey, there is someone out there for you, someone that knows you’re there.’”

Davis, who aspires to become a nurse, modeled the idea after a similar program her art teacher, Yesenia Cachu, participated in that sent notes to those in need. Davis pitched the idea to Cachu, and then to her fellow art class students. She was met with overwhelming support.

“I always thought that doing these projects would be a lot harder,” Davis said. “But I realized that I just needed to say something. There were a lot of people that were on board with it and wanted to do something.”

Davis said she provided some examples of cards the students could make but gave them creative freedom to make something that would hopefully lift the spirits of patients who may be experiencing stress or loneliness during their time in the hospital over the holidays.

“I just hope that all the patients see them,” Davis said, “and know that someone is there for them.”