Cancer Patients Treasure Jackie Bobbitt’s Artistic Skills

Tinley Park resident Jackie Bobbitt is supporting children fighting cancer at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, IL by donating her impressive artistic skills to benefit the Treasure Chest Foundation.

In March of 2001, the Treasure Chest Foundation opened its 13th Treasure Chest program in honor of Elfrida Jakobsen at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital. It is not uncommon to restore the Treasure Chests after years of use and that is what happened for the kids at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital.

Jackie Bobbitt reached out to Aileen Maxwell, MS, CCLS at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and learned their oncology clinic theme was grey, orange, teal and stars. Jackie painted the new Treasure Chest to match that hospital’s existing theme and paint scheme. “I am happy to donate the time and supplies,” says Jackie. “It's my way of supporting the Treasure Chest Foundation. I love what they are doing, and I am happy to help. I look forward to painting and decorating many more Treasure Chests in the future.”

Thus far, Jackie has painted eight of our Treasure Chests, with the first seven becoming instant hits in Toledo, Ohio, Columbia, Missouri, Nashville, Tennessee, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Cleveland Ohio, Johnson City, Tennessee and Miami, Florida.

“The Treasure Chest Foundation is especially grateful to Jackie Bobbitt for her tremendous donation of time, talent and artistic skill,” said POTCF CEO and Founder Colleen Kisel. “Because of her hard work and generosity, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital will receive one new, beautifully painted Treasure Chest.”

The POTCF is a unique organization whose services impact more than 14,600 young cancer patients in 62 cancer treatment centers in 20 states across the nation and in the District of Columbia. Nowhere else in the nation does such a program exist. Colleen Kisel founded the organization in 1996 after her then seven-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia in 1993. Ms. Kisel discovered that giving her son a toy after each procedure provided a calming distraction from his pain, noting that when children are diagnosed with cancer their world soon becomes filled with doctors, nurses, chemotherapy drugs, surgeries and seemingly endless painful procedures. Martin celebrated his 28th anniversary of remission from the disease in March of this year.

If you would like further information about the Treasure Chest Foundation, please contact Colleen Kisel at 708-687-TOYS (8697) or visit the Foundation’s website at www.treasurechest.org.