DALTON, Ga. — Brookwood Elementary School fifth-grader Taylor Parm knows firsthand that spending time in a hospital during the holidays is a pretty lousy experience because the 11-year-old has done it. That’s why he is hosting a toy drive for children staying at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

“I feel bad for them because I’ve had to stay in the hospital close to Christmas and close to the new year,” he said.

Taylor was diagnosed with Denys-Drash syndrome, which can cause kidney failure, after he started having health problems at just six weeks old. He was put on dialysis until he received a kidney transplant in February 2009 at age 3.

Because he was so young Taylor said he doesn’t remember much from his transplant and the days that followed, but he still has to visit a local hospital for monthly bloodwork and go to Atlanta for checkups every three months. On occasion, he has had to stay for an extended period for treatment.

His mother, Amanda Parm, said hospitals have become just a regular part of life for their family as Taylor has had about 20 surgeries during his life.

“He gets toys sometimes when he’s in the hospital, and it always makes him feel a little better,” she said. “It was his entirely his idea to collect toys to donate, and he went to the principal himself.”

One year, just after Christmas, Taylor suffered a borderline rejection of his donated kidney and had to spend several days in the hospital for treatment. His mom said they rang in the new year in Taylor’s hospital room.

Taylor said it’s never much fun spending time in a medical facility.

“When you have to stay you can’t really move around a lot and there’s not a lot to do besides watch TV, so I don’t really like staying there during the holidays,” said Taylor, explaining that he wanted to donate toys so children who are being treated at the hospital will have something to play with during their stays.

His mom said hospitals will just be a way of life for him since he is a transplant patient because his body could reject his donated kidney at any time.

“It’s going to be a lifelong thing,” she said. “He’s always going to be on medication and he’s always going to need to be careful of certain things.”

As of Thursday Taylor had collected more than 40 toys to give to the children staying at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and he hopes to collect a few more today before the school breaks for its winter holidays. Cash donations are also being accepted. Donations can be dropped off today at the school at 501 Central Ave.

Taylor and his family will drop off the donations when he goes to Atlanta for his next checkup on Dec. 21. They specifically want to donate to the kids on the sixth floor, which where the transplant patients are treated.

TO DONATE

Unwrapped toys or cash donations can be dropped off at the front office of Brookwood Elementary School at 501 Central Ave. today during school hours. Donations will be given to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.