Kindness trail for Gabby's legacy

STARRY EYED: St Johns Hill School pupils held scooter days to form a gold coin star at school with Milly Vivian (left), Connor McDonald and Sophia Wiebe in the foreground. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO

Thursday was Random Acts of Kindness Day and St John's Hill School chose that day to gather their donations for children having cancer treatment at Whanganui Hospital.

The day was also chosen to remember former pupil Gabby Devine, founder of Starlit Hope who practised over 1000 random acts of kindness before she died from a rare form of bone cancer last year aged 13.

Teachers at St Johns were wearing fun wigs and accessories in pink and purple hues in Gabby's honour.

"They were her favourites," said teacher Jessica Devane.

"She loved anything purple and she loved practising random acts of kindness."

Mrs Devane is Gabby's cousin and a trustee of Starlit Hope, formed by Gabby to continue the work she started.

Diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in February 2012, Gabby spent many months in Starship and New Plymouth Hospitals undergoing chemotherapy.

Her own experience of being in hospital led her to feel empathy for other children and their families and she would take suitcases packed with gifts to distribute around the wards.

Starlit Hope now carries on Gabby's work providing boredom boxes, superhero bravery packs, birthday parties, dinners to parents of children at the Starship oncology ward.

The decision was made to donate the money raised at St Johns Hill School to Gabby's home town hospital for the benefit of Whanganui children undergoing cancer treatment.