Anita Andrews has a very special reason behind her volunteer work with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. For the past three years she has been setting up bake sales in the lobby of the hospital every other week offering delicious treats, most made by her. She started doing this in memory of her granddaughter Briana Vega, who passed away in 2014 after a two-year battle with leukemia.
Anita channeled all of the passion and strength with which Briana lived into giving back to the hospital where she underwent treatment. To date, she has raised over $30,000 to fund equipment for Child Life and Radio Lollipop, two departments that helped Briana in the time she spent at Nicklaus Children’s. Thanks to her support, many patients who are going through similar situations as Briana’s will be able to use the equipment as a means of fun and distraction while they are at the hospital for treatment.
Briana’s legacy lives on through Anita’s charitable work. She is always happy to speak about her granddaughter’s love for life so that her spirit continues to inspire others, even to this day. To remember her granddaughter, Anita always keeps a part of Briana with her, the same stuffed toy that was Briana’s favorite. A heartfelt thank you to Anita for her generosity and dedication to the patients of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Where Children Matter Most (2024)
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South
Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately
850 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 307-bed
hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs
routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The
hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern
United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional
honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.