HOUSTON – The Haley Rasco Foundation is bringing the community together for a heartwarming event aimed at spreading joy to children in hospitals.
This third annual Haley’s Happy Birthdays program, which began from one family’s journey through childhood cancer, will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
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A legacy of light and love
Haley Rasco faced leukemia three times in her young life and spent more than 125 days in the hospital. But through it all, she kept a big smile on her face.
“She was bright, full of life. No matter the treatment that she was going through and the severity of it, she was always happy,” said her mom, Heather Rasco, founder of the Haley Rasco Foundation. “They joked and called her the mayor of the ninth floor at Texas Children’s because she loved just talking to all the doctors and the nurses.”
Rasco told us that the hospital felt like a second home for Haley.
“The hospital staff and the child life staff really became our family. Her whole world really was the hospital, and she actually had a great time there,” Rasco said.
After Haley’s passing in September 2021, her family started the foundation to keep her memory alive and continue spreading the kind of joy she was known for.
“I realized Haley had spent two of her three birthdays in the hospital. So I thought, what if we just did birthdays for kids in the hospital and called it Haley’s Happy Birthdays?”
From one birthday to thousands
What started as a simple idea quickly grew into something much bigger. The program now reaches kids in eight pediatric hospitals across Texas, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
“Two and a half years in, we’ve done over 1,800 birthdays,” Rasco said. “God had much bigger plans—and it blew up.”
Each birthday box or bag is filled with party supplies, personalized gifts, and uplifting messages—everything needed to make a hospital birthday feel special.
“In the hospital, the last thing you’re thinking about is running to the store to grab a birthday banner or balloons,” Rasco explained. “We wanted to take that burden off the parents.”
Every box also includes a message just for the caregivers, letting them know they’re not alone.
“We’ve been there. We’ve spent 125 days in the hospital. And we want them to know there are other parents walking through the same thing.”
The birthday deliveries often turn into bright spots during a really tough time.
Rasco said it means so much to hear from families and hospital staff about the difference the program is making:
“We try to recreate the moments of joy they’d have at home or school.”
And no matter where a child is, the goal of Haley’s Happy Birthdays program is to make sure they feel special.
“We believe a child deserves to be celebrated no matter where they are,” Rasco added. “If they’re in the hospital on their birthday, we want to take a pause and celebrate them—to help offset the negative memories with something joyful.”
For Rasco and her family, running the foundation has been a healing experience.
“We’re thankful that we get to serve patients just like Haley—not only in Houston, but in Austin, North Carolina, and New Jersey.”
Event details
The celebration will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. at Houston NW Church, 19911 State Hwy 249, Houston, TX 77070.
It will include:
- Birthday games and cupcakes
- A chance to build and personalize a birthday box or bag
- A toy drive for pediatric birthday gifts
- Information about becoming a bone marrow donor
- Volunteer opportunities
You can donate ahead of time to reserve your spot to build a birthday box. Online donations close Friday, May 16, at 10 p.m., but tickets will also be available at the event. Can’t make it? You can still give, and a box will be created in your honor.
To donate, get involved, or learn more about her other programs, visit the Haley Rasco Foundation website.
