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12-year-old girl, house fire survivor, collects stuffed animals for children

Posted at 10:31 PM, Jan 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-25 13:36:09-05

It's not your typical firehouse delivery, but 12-year-old Sammie Lenett has her reasons for lugging a bin full of stuffed animals to the North Shore Fire Station in Bayside.

"When I was little I had a house fire and kind of freaked out," explained Sammie Lenett.

She was four at the time of the fire and still remembers a firefighters giving her a stuffed animals.  Just last year, Sammie had a concussion and was rushed to the hospital and again was gifted a stuffed animal.  She hopes they will help bring comfort to other kids like the stuffed animals did for her.

"We do have medical emergencies, fires, automobile accidents with children involved.  Obviously it's a very stressful time for them.  Something like this that we can give them that can create a calming effect is something very special and very much appreciated," said North Shore Fire Department Battalion Chief John Maydak.

Battalion Chief John Maydak was impressed by the gesture.

"To have young kids out in the community doing things like this to give back, cause you don't see it very often, it's very wonderful to see," explained Battalion Chief Maydak.

Sammie asked friends and family for help and she set up donation boxes at area businesses.  This was part of her Bat Mitzvah project, but she doesn't plan to stop collecting stuffed animals. 

"I wanted kids to have the same thing that I got," said Lenett. 

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