Santas in training

Paul Clinton

Kaden Bruner and Natal Morrow have been best friends since they

met in preschool when they were 2.

With both children now celebrating their seventh birthdays,

they’re teaming up to participate in the spirit of holiday giving.

It may have taken a little nudging from their parents, but the two

friends and classmates at Tamura Elementary School will be handing

over their birthday gifts to children spending the holiday season at

City of Hope Medical Center, in Duarte, who are there getting

treatment for various types of cancer.

“Basically, we want to teach them how fortunate they are, because

they get to spend Christmas at home and not in the hospital,” said

Amanda Bruner, who lives in Huntington Beach with her son. “We just

want to teach them [to appreciate] what they have.”

The gesture is also a way to give back to a hospital that has been

treating Diane Morrow, a Fountain Valley resident, for a rare form of

cancer of the salivary glands, the mothers said.Today, the two

children are heading to the medical center to deliver the gifts

collected at their joint birthday party on Saturday.

Kaden, a fidgety blond-haired boy, said he was looking forward to

the trip.

“If they miss Christmas, they can have some toys, in case they

don’t have toys,” he said. “[I’m giving the gifts] so the children

can have a happy Christmas.”

Like most children, the two balked at first when their mothers

suggested the idea. However, when the idea was further explained, and

they were promised a second party where they could keep the gifts,

the idea took hold.

Kaden, who has been given the nickname “KJB” by his mom, turned 7

on Sunday, five days before Natal.

More than 40 children from their school attended the party. The

mothers also accepted gifts in the weeks leading up to the

fund-raiser birthday party. About 60 gifts will be handed over to

City of Hope children today.

Natal has also embraced this “lesson for life.”

“I feel lucky that I have a lot of toys,” she said.

The idea dates back to 1998, when Diane Morrow was diagnosed with

cancer of the parotid gland, in her cheek. Over the course of the

last two years, she has been undergoing chemotherapy and other

treatments at City of Hope. She has undergone four surgeries and five

different types of chemotherapy to treat the malignant growth.

When her daughter first asked about why she had lost her hair,

Morrow started talking to Natal about her disease and treatment.

“They’re both real curious,” Morrow said. “We’ve been pretty open

with them about the disease.”

* PAUL CLINTON is a reporter with Times Community News. He

covers City Hall. He may be reached at (714) 965-7173 or by e-mail at

paul.clinton@latimes.com.