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Six-year old Janiya Jackson was so excited going through the toys in the gift basket that sat on her hospital bed that she didn’t want to stop and have her picture taken with Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison and guard Doug Legursky.

“This is great. It’s wonderful,” said her father Leshaun Byrd, as he encouraged her to look at the camera. “She has smiled before, but never like this. It picked her spirits up. She likes football. Her and I go outside and play football. This is the happiest I have seen her in a while.”

Harrison and Legursky, along with other current and former Steelers including Brett Keisel, Heath Miller, Craig Bingham, Chris Hoke and Randy Grossman, and mascot Steely McBeam, were handing out the baskets and other gifts to patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at UPMC.

“It’s a fun day that is happening around the NFL cities,” said Miller. “We are happy to be a part of it. We understand the days get a little mundane here. We know kids like to be happy and smile and to see these toys to play with and find a little joy in these baskets is pretty neat.”

The baskets were courtesy of Super Baskets of Hope, a program that provided 7,000 baskets to kids in all 32 NFL cities. The basket project was spearheaded by former Steeler Tony Dungy and they were assembled by volunteers in Indianapolis as part of an outreach program at Super Bowl XLVI.

“The kids are not in a normal environment and having something so special makes a huge difference to their treatment,” said Ashley Van Alen, child life special events coordinator at Children’s. “They say a smile can be just as good medicine as anything else and these guys make them laugh, interact with them and make a memory that lasts forever for them.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for Pittsburgh to be a part of this, for the kids and for the hospital. We feel honored to have been thought of for this program.”

Players went room to room, not just delivering the items but bringing laughter and happiness to the kids.

“It’s good anytime you can spend time with the kids and give back a little of your time,” said Harrison. “It’s good to see a smile on their face. Some of them haven’t smiled in a while. We had one little girl who just came out of surgery and we walk in there and she brightens up, so it feels good.”

The gift baskets were filled with coloring books, crayons, puzzles, water bottles and more and, of course, a Steelers hat.

“It really warms my heart to come here and meet the kids and families that are going through this right now,” said Keisel, who was on the oncology floor. “They are going through a tough time right now. To give them a smile, maybe brighten their day is important.  

“I would encourage people to send gift baskets or something to these kids here. It’s something simple to do and it makes you feel better after you do it.”

The players posed for pictures with the kids, signed autographs and provided a much needed fun diversion for them.

“Anytime we come out here, brighten their day and put a smile on their face, it makes our day that much better,” said Legursky.

It also seemed to make Jada Reichart’s day better. The shy six-year old peered into the basket after Keisel left her room, pulling out the items one by one with a smile on her face.

“It’s awesome,” said her father Matt Reichart. “It’s great being here that there can be some high points, some special moments. They know the reason we are here is not that fun. Just to bring some joy and entertainment, some special memories to her day. She doesn’t realize now some of the special people she has met, but she will understand.”

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