On today's Hero of the Week segment, we're checking in with a friend we first met on our April 24, 2013 show. She's Jen Rubino, and her own experiences with multiple hospitalizations and surgeries inspired her to found Cards for Hospitalized Kids (CHK) to spread hope, joy, and magic to hospitalized kids across America through handmade cards sent by kids and groups from around the globe. 

Anyone can get involved with them, from anywhere. Individuals and groups across the United States, and world, donate time and creativity to make handmade cards and send them to CHK for distribution in hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses across the nation.

In 2016, Cards for Hospitalized Kids celebrated their five year anniversary. The number of cards they continue to receive yearly continually grows.  Over 100,000 kids in hospitals in all 50 states have received cards.  Says Jen: "Doctors provide medicine and we provide hope, joy & magic."

Jen is now 21, and a student at Georgetown University in D.C. She continues to oversee CFHK operations.