Montgomery Girl Gifts it Forward With Donation to Hospital

Eight-year-old Monet Bastin of Montgomery didn’t say much on Monday. But the smile on her face told the whole story.

Monet (pronounced like the artist, according to her mom Carrie) turned eight on Saturday. But instead of giving her toys and gifts, she asked her friends and family to do something special: help her donate board games to Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, to make the lives of extended-stay patients there better.

She asked for new board games, and man, did she get them. More than two dozen of them, from Connect Four to Sorry to Yahtzee to Scrabble. And on Monday, she and her mom drove those games to the hospital’s pediatric ward, and gave them away, much to the delight of the doctors on duty.

The idea was her mom’s, but Monet was visibly thrilled to make so many people happy. The Bastins picked Adventist Hinsdale because Monet was born there—Carrie described it as bringing things full circle. And she said she hoped to use this to teach Monet about kindness and empathy.

“I want her to grow up knowing the compassionate side of people,” Carrie said. “To realize that not everyone is as healthy as you, and not everyone can go home with their families at the end of the night."

It was easy to see her learning those lessons on Monday. Her eyes got wide as the doctors thanked her and hugged her, and she was delighted to receive a certificate of thanks from David Crane, CEO of Adventist Midwest Health.

“I feel special,” she said, smiling.

Health care has always been a part of Carrie Bastin’s life—she has volunteered in hospitals and nursing homes for years, and she works for the Health Care Financial Management Association. The idea to donate to hospitals came naturally to her.

Monet, who attends St. Paul Lutheran School in Aurora, has been quietly absorbing the whole process, Carrie said.

“She’s been taking it all in, and sharing with friends,” she said. “It’s been quite a lesson.”

Carrie Bastin said this is just the beginning. She got such a great response from friends and family members that she plans to do this in subsequent years. Monet’s little sister will get in on the act as well, she said. And if things keep expanding, she plans to start a foundation, and help bring donations to other hospitals.

“I thought this was fantastic,” she said. “It’s a great example of gifting it forward.”