Despite having her appendix removed, 10-year-old Ailany continues being a competitive little girl.

“My dad told me to be strong, and the doctors helped me calm down, and I wasn’t nervous anymore,” Ailany said. “They take care of me really good, and this toy room calms me down more.”

Ailany is a patient at South Texas Health System Children’s hospital in Edinburg. After surgery she could be seen playing Connect 4 in the hospital’s toy room.

“We came in and started playing Jenga and we went back to her hospital room, and she already wanted to come back,” Ailany’s mom, Yesenia, said.

Across the hall from the playroom is the KRGV Cares Closet. It was created in 2024 with the help of donations from generous viewers. 

The closet is filled with brand-new toys, providing smiles on the faces of countless children such as Ailany.

The toys are for the children to take home, but first, they can take them back to their hospital rooms as they rest from their procedures.

KRGV-TV is collecting donations to purchase more toys and other necessities for children through Friday, May 16, to make hospital stays easier for children.

Click here to donate.

Watch the video above for the full story.