Gatlin came to Sutter Roseville Medical Center with a check for children’s services and the pharmacy and gave it to Chief Nurse Executive Kat Holmes and CEO Tammy Powers.

Gatlin Coker came to his mother the day after Thanksgiving with a little jar and a piece of tape where he wrote “tips.” He said, “Mommy, can I take this around to our neighbors and ask for donations for the hospital?”

That was the beginning of a fund-raising campaign by the 6-year-old Rocklin boy that ended with him donating $467.29 to Sutter Roseville Medical Center.

Gatlin Coker used this sign to let folks know he was raising money for the hospital.

”One neighbor asked him, ‘Why the hospital?’ And he said, ‘It’s for the children and the pharmacies so they can get the medicine (the children) need.’

“Of course, I cried!” Gatlin’s mother, Molly Coker, says.

Gatlin took the jar, put it inside a Santa boot, and visited his neighbors. Then Molly drove him to family friends, and he made videos or Facetimed family and friends who live far away. He even made a presentation to a workout class at the gym where his Dad coaches.

“My favorite part was listening to him tell people why this was so important to him and seeing his excitement with every coin he received,” Molly says. “Gatlin even gave out of his own piggy bank!”

Why Sutter? It’s because that’s the hospital that helped him recover from his own tripledemic of bronchitis, pneumonia and COVID, all at the same time. It’s also where they took care of his grandfather.

Gatlin was able to take the donations to Sutter Roseville and give it to CEO Tammy Powers and Chief Nurse Executive Kat Holmes. The donations for the not-for-profit hospital will be used exactly how Gatlin wants: a 50-50 split between the pharmacy and children’s services.

Gatlin was excited when he was also given something from Powers and Holmes: a stuffed animal, card and candy. “I was surprised they gave me a present when I was bringing them presents!” he told his mother. “That was so cool!”

But that’s not all, Gatlin’s twin sister, Findley, got into the giving mood, too. She asked if she can give something to the nurses “because they take care of all the sick people.” She wanted to give them a candy cane with a note and some funny nurse stickers. She put them together and signed each little notecard (more than 40 of them). Findley then delivered the gifts to the Infusion Center at the Sutter Roseville Cancer Center. Her godmother, Alicia Black, works there. “Yep, I cried then too!” Molly says.

Whether it be a gift of time or a donation, the generosity of community members helps not-for-profit health system Sutter Health provide care and comfort to Northern California patients. For more on how and why to give, visit https://www.sutterhealth.org/giving.