Collection: Oishei 12th Floor Fundraiser

My Visit to the 12th Floor at Children’s Hospital

A few weeks ago, I walked onto the 12th Floor at Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, NY — the floor where oncology and epilepsy patients fight battles no one, especially a child, should ever have to face. What I experienced there was one of the most humbling moments of my life.

I met Hannah Koepsell, her brother Jackson, and their incredible parents, Patti and Jason. For nearly 40 minutes, they welcomed me into their world — a world of beeping monitors, IV drips, sudden interruptions, small accidents, soft voices, and unbelievable gentleness. A world where a family has been divided by leukemia, doing everything in their power to remain a “normal” family despite living in two places. For more than six weeks, one parent has stayed full-time in the hospital while the other keeps life going at home. They have not all been together under one roof in that long.

Yet what struck me most wasn’t the hardship — it was the kindness. The concern for others. The way this family, in the middle of their own storm, still radiated warmth, gratitude, and hope. I walked out in tears, humbled and overwhelmed with appreciation for all the things I often take for granted.

Originally, the T-shirt fundraiser was created to support Hannah. But because of the generosity of Patti, Jason, Hannah, and Jackson, it has grown into something bigger: the “12th Floor T-Shirt” Fundraiser, created to help the pediatric patients on the 12th Floor who are courageously fighting cancers and conditions far beyond their years.

And the need is growing — as Jason shared, seven new children have arrived on the 12th Floor since October 3rd of this year.

That’s why The Community T-Shirt Project, Retro Buffalo, and Artdog Designs are teaming up to launch this special collection of shirts in honor of Hannah and the entire 12th Floor community.

We hope you find a design that resonates with you — and if it does, we hope you’ll share it, wear it, and help us spread the word.

Thank you, in advance, for your support, your compassion, and your heart.

— Kevin / The Community T-Shirt Project