Hewlett High School students write get well cards to Covid-19 patients

Schools in the Five Towns and across New York state may be closed through the end of the school year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but a few Hewlett High School students have found a way to inspire strangers who have been impacted by the virus.

In between their remote-learning sessions, freshmen Lily Cohen and Skylar Kampton and Skylar’s sister, Haley, a senior, delivered hundreds of get-well cards to Hewlett resident Patricia Roblin beginning in early April. Roblin, the associate director of emergency preparedness at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, has distributed the cards to Covid-19 patients at the hospital. The cards are inscribed with affirmations such as “Never forget how brave you are” and “Be positive.”

Woodmere resident Jennifer Cohen, Lily’s mother and a friend of Roblin’s, helped distribute the cards.

Roblin, Cohen said, had mentioned at one point that the hospital had over 300 Covid patients. “These kids do a lot of community service all year long,” Cohen said of her daughter and her classmates, “but now it’s a little harder to get out and do stuff. So we thought that writing letters was a great way for the kids to stay involved with the community while also staying safe.”

Cohen said she hoped the cards would lift the spirits of the Covid-19 patients. “They’re all self-made at home,” she said, “and they knew it would cheer up people who are in need of positivity.”

For her daughter, finding a way to give back during the pandemic was a no-brainer. “I think that if you’re healthy enough during this time, why not give back?” Lily said. “It’s nice hearing the feedback from the patients and workers, and how much they appreciate it.”

Lily noted that fellow students Leah Bragin, Elani Rocha, Stella Fratti, Leeya Azamon and Olivia Ginzburg have also written letters. “Our school district has always emphasized service and giving back to the community,” Lily said. “It’s always great to give back to the community, no matter what the circumstances are.” 

Gibson resident Glenda Kampton, Haley’s and Skylar’s mother, said she wasn’t surprised by her daughters’ collaboration with their friend. “Lily and Skylar have been friends since pre-K, and they’ve always been involved in school clubs and activities together,” Kampton said. “We’ve stayed close throughout the years, and the kids are always doing good community-minded things.”

Jennifer Cohen said she hoped the card-making would be a memorable experience for her daughter and her friends. “Hopefully in the future, when the kids look back on what they did during Covid, they’ll remember that they brought joy to some people who needed it during a tough time,” she said. “This shows them that the smallest of actions can make a difference in someone’s day.”