A teen who survived cancer is packing activity kits for kids in the hospital

Sammy Wechter was 2 when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She went into remission, then relapsed two weeks before her sixth birthday, as kindergarten started. Each course of treatment meant more than a year and a half in and out of the hospital, with her twin brother, Noah, beside her. ABC7 New York reported on October 21, 2026, that she has now been cancer-free for about 11 years, and that she wanted to give something back to the hospital.

With three childhood friends, including Noah, she started A Spark to Inspire, a nonprofit that brings crafts, books, and games to children in long stays. The point is entertainment that is not a screen. On the Upper West Side, the group and other volunteers packed kits for different ages. Co-founder Ari Odinec said photos from NYU Langone of children with the kits moved them. Dr. Bill Carroll, who was on Sammy's care team, said the activities can be a real distraction. Noah said watching his sister play a game in a hospital room is what he hopes other families get. Sammy said she would like the kits to travel beyond New York if they keep working. The report is the packing and that hope. It does not say how many children have received a kit.