The mission of Operation Surprise Attack is to unite compassionate individuals, local communities, and corporate partners to support children facing severe or rare health challenges. Through surprise deliveries of cards, gifts, and acts of kindness, we lovingly "attack" children and their families with an outpouring of encouragement and support.
Children ages 3 to 17 across Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan who are facing a chronic or terminal illness or going through major treatment. That includes cancer, sickle cell, children on a transplant list, and children recovering from serious accidents and multiple surgeries. We drive every delivery ourselves, about an hour to an hour and a half north and south of Toledo.
Every card, every gift, every act of kindness carries the same message: You are seen. You are loved. You are not alone. That promise guides everything we do as we attack fear and isolation with hope, encouragement, and compassion, one surprise at a time.
A parent fills out the recipient application. We read every one ourselves and call the family to learn the child's story and favorite things.
Two of our team email the child's flyer to every school on our list. Classrooms, clubs and churches make cards for about four weeks.
Our team reads every card, then drives the cards, the gifts and a check for the family to their door. Nothing gets shipped.
He had relapsed and told his mom he could not do chemo again. Then 500 cards arrived from a local school.
