(Editor's Note: John Theissen is the president and founder of Toys For Sick Children, Inc., a non-profit organization formed to help the needy children on Long Island.)

Last year's 10th annual Toys For Sick Children toy drive, held locally, was particularly special for many reasons. I was eager to help my husband John celebrate a decade of bringing smiles to the faces of sick and needy children across Long Island. Special T-shirts were made and a heated tent for the front lawn was donated. Santa Claus even paid a visit to help us thank all the people who so generously donated toys.

The most remarkable visitor though, was a young man named Matthew. He came to donate a toy for a sick child. Although he did not mention his own illness at first, John was all too familiar with the telltale signs of a suffering child. He wore a baseball cap to hide his thinning hair and his face seemed somewhat bloated from medication. He also spoke with the maturity and wisdom that children his age do not usually possess. Matt battled leukemia and underwent surgeries for brain tumors. John immediately reached out to his family. He offered the usual video games, a shopping spree, television, VCR - you name it. Matthew and his family assured John that he had everything that he wanted or needed.

Soon after his visits to the toy drive, John received a letter from Matt with his phone number. A friendship ensued. John and Matt spent countless hours talking on the phone. They had a common bond, both had to face life-threatening illnesses at a young age. They went out to dinner and took a trip to the mall together. Matt's mother remarked that John had given her son back to her. Apparently, Matt had become somewhat discouraged and his relationship with John had really lifted his spirits again. He felt that he had finally found someone with whom he could relate.

In some ways, Matthew was a typical boy. He was proud to be a junior firefighter and was an avid sports fan. John contacted the Mets and was able to obtain a signed Mike Piazza bat and an official Mets jersey for Matt. He cherished these. On one occasion, John called Matt to surprise him with tickets to an Islander game but found that Matt was too weak to talk on the phone. Concerned, John called Matt's mother only to discover that Matt was again in the fight of his life. He had yet another brain tumor.

Matt's godmother, Gail, called John several days later to tell him that Matt was in the hospital and that there was nothing more the doctors could do for him. We visited Matt one last time. He was too weak to say much, however he spoke to John. As we were about to leave, I searched for the right thing to say and I'll never forget the words John chose. John grabbed his hand and spoke softly, "It's your time to rest now, buddy. There are no more fires to fight." Hours later, Matthew slipped into a coma.

At his wake, Gail told us that Matt was organizing his own toy drive and had already collected some toys. He was planning to surprise John in December during the toy drive. He was eager to get involved with Toys For Sick Children. Matt and John had also planned to deliver toys together around the holidays.

The 10th annual toy drive was the most successful to date. Over 40,000 toys were donated and distributed. What John received in return is a gift that he will cherish for a lifetime - getting to know Matt. Needless to say, the 11th annual toy drive will be held in memory of Matt.