DENVER — Devin Hays was 18 years old, playing hockey at Iowa State University when a persistent cough and chest pain led to an X-ray that changed his life.
“She was just concerned that I might have some fluid in my lungs from covid or something else,” Hays said. “So, she took a chest X-ray, and she found a softball-sized tumor sitting above my heart and squeezing my trachea.”
He was transferred to HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children’s at Presbyterian St. Luke’s for treatment of the tumor, a type of lymphoma.
“He had a very frightening and dramatic presentation,” Dr. John Van Ninck, an oncologist who helped treat Hays when he arrived in 2022, said. “The large tumor in his chest was compressing his heart and some of his respiratory structures, and so it was a medical emergency.”
Hays has since fully recovered, thanks to the treatment received at the hospital, but his stay there inspired him to help out the children he would see going through treatment every single day.
“I quickly learned when I was brought here that the toughest parts of receiving treatment are watching your friends and family go through it and watching kids go through it,” Hays said. “There is no rationalization for them. They’re kids. They just know that the poke hurts.”
It began with Hays dressing up and handing out treats while he was still a patient, once even as a fire hydrant alongside Posey, a hospital service dog. It's now grown into an organized volunteer effort. As of last December, Hays filed for an official 501(c)(3) called Hospital Homies.
“We quickly realized that there was a real need to come in and spread some joy on these holidays,” Hays said.
Dr. Van Doorninck said Hays’ attitude during treatment left a mark on staff and patients alike.
“Despite being removed from everything that he held dear, scholastically and socially, he had such positivity and such an attitude of perseverance,” Dr. Van Doorninck said. “Here we have a young adult who is writing a story after his cancer treatment, and that story involves giving back to those who are facing the problem that he himself encountered.”
Hospital Homies focuses on the small comforts that matter to children undergoing care: bags of candy, age-appropriate books and toys. Donations primarily fund candy now, Hays said, with plans to expand the program’s offerings as contributions grow. Two of the oncologists who treated Hays serve on the organization’s board, reinforcing the group’s ties to the hospital community.
“Just knowing that we’re a part of spreading that smile, spreading that joy, it means a lot,” Hays said. “The first thing that comes to mind is how strong these kids are.”
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. An estimated 9,500 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year, underscoring the ongoing need for support services that ease the emotional and social burdens of treatment.
To learn more or donate to Hospital Homies, you can check out their website here.
