“A lot of people kind of understand cancer as a word that means death,” South Windsor High School junior Shaurya Ranjan explained. “I think it’s a lot different than what people like to imagine.”
Ranjan is the founder of Blocks of Hope, a 501c3 non profit organization, that donates Lego sets to children fighting cancer and undergoing treatment, providing them with a creative and positive outlet amidst a difficult time.
Child cancer patients receiving building blocks goes beyond having a toy to play with.
“Receiving Legos can help improve the morale of a child undergoing cancer treatment,” a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Connecticut Children’s Medical Hospital Mary Laliberte said. “They foster a sense of normalcy, giving patients something fun to focus on. They also help provide some much needed distraction from the hospital routine and physical issues that come with a cancer diagnosis and treatment.”
Blocks of Hope purchases Lego sets as per request, up to $180. Additionally, the organization donates several smaller building block sets at a time to hospitals, where they are then distributed to children coming out of surgery.
The organization receives funding via grants from local businesses, restaurants and banks as well as crowdfunding donations, through GoFundMe. Currently, the organization has raised nearly $4,000 from crowdfunding.
“I post on the Make a Wish Facebook account, so a lot of kids on there find out about me,” Ranjan said.
The inspiration for Blocks of Hope, comes from Ranjan’s own experience being a survivor of childhood cancer.
Diagnosed with stage 3 lymphoma, a blood cancer, he underwent chemotherapy treatment, where his parents gifted him with Lego block sets each treatment session. Building block sets provided an outlet and something for Ranjan to look forward to and distract him from the symptoms of treatment.
After having completed treatment, he created Blocks of Hope in April 2024 with help from his family.
“Legos can be kind of expensive, so I might as well start something to raise funds, to give back to people who are in a similar spot as me,” Ranjan said.
For Ranjan, the most rewarding aspect of running the organization has been seeing the smiles on children’s faces.
“It’s nice to see them, while they’re so down, just be a little bit happy,” Ranjan recalls.
Ranjan’s own experience battling cancer has helped him better understand the children he helps out, noting that “when you’re so young, it’s so hard to process it [cancer] and know what’s going on,” Ranjan explained. “I think unless you go through it, you don’t really know what it’s like.”
Ranjan encourages people to research and understand what cancer really means, from a biological and social standpoint.
“I feel like people just hear about it, but they don’t know anything about it.”
In the future, Ranjan hopes to raise $10,000, before graduating high school.
The majority of children who receive building block sets from Blocks of Hope are patients of Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital.
However, Ranjan anticipates to continue running the organization while attending college, increasing the network of hospitals Blocks of Hope provides building block sets to.
For those that are interested in supporting Blocks of Hope, monetary donations can be made on GoFundMe and donations of unopened building block sets are accepted as well. Spreading the word to friends and family is appreciated.
