Her Toy Story: Local Woman's Personal Struggle Becomes an Uplifting Mission
When her 7-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia almost 20 years ago, Colleen Kisel's life was upended. As she helped him fight, she found new purpose in her life at the Treasure Chest Foundation.
They have just about run out of room. The boxes lining the shelves at Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation are bursting with Barbies, Hot Wheels and Candyland. With Director Colleen Kisel leading the charge, the foundation is months away from moving to a 3,600-square-foot facility three times the size of its current home. It's a far cry from the foundation's original location—Kisel's garage. Fifteen years ago, Kisel dreamed up an organization that provides children undergoing cancer treatments with much-needed distraction and levity. After watching her 7-year-old son Martin undergo four years of treatment for leukemia, she learned firsthand the role a toy could play. Toys helped him through 18 spinal taps and nine bone marrow …
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