Montana Teen Donates Children's Books to St. Vincent Healthcare for Nearly a Decade
Aiden Fouhy is high school senior, a resident of rural Montana, and an aspiring airplane pilot. In his spare time, Aiden is also a traveling bookmobile.
For the past decade, since he was eight, Aiden has been collecting and donating children's books to St. Vincent Healthcare's Pediatric Unit.
The young man and his parents have been making the nearly 400-mile trip to Billings from their home near the Canadian border since 2014.
In the first year, Aiden managed to donate 76 books. By early 2024, the total was 619.
"I always thought, 'Well, when I don't feel good, I like to read,'" Aiden explains. "So, I was like, 'Well, kids in the hospital are an awesome way to do it.'"
His parents always encouraged altruism in their son but did not anticipate that he would choose to open the magical world of reading and imagination to pediatric unit patients so far away.
The annual roundtrip from home to hospital is a long one (Aiden hopes to fly his book deliveries to Billings himself upon earning his wings) but the generous youth says seeing the smiles on children's faces always makes it worth it.
"I can't even describe it. It's amazing. It's the most fulfilling happiness you can feel."