La Rabida Children's Hospital hosts 54th annual Thanksgiving feast

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather, but that is complicated when the youngest members are confined to a hospital.

One Chicago medical facility marked its 54th year of helping families to overcome that obstacle by teaming up with volunteer chefs and creating a feast to remember. Eyewitness News met Thursday with families who are grateful for their efforts.

Jessica Pineda and her family have come to celebrate Thanksgiving with her brother Oscar, a patient with cerebral palsy.

"Just appreciating what we have, because that's what we have to do today. Appreciate what we have. Because we don't know what we have until it's gone," Pineda said.

But perspective can be hard to find when a child you love is fighting a long-term illness. The annual Thanksgiving feast at La Rabida Children's Hospital is a good reminder that hardship doesn't have to be endured alone.

"We have three other kids. So, to be able to all spend Thanksgiving together is everything," said Melissa Pinoski, whose son is a patient.

There are dozens of volunteers, some who have dedicated decades to this feast, aLL because they understand the value of their time, skill and holiday cheer.

"When my wife passed away 21 years ago, I wanted my daughters to see that, as hard as it was, there's people that have a harder life," said Rich Naglich, corporate executive chef.

"We are artists, we are chefs. But we believe in doing good," said Harry Hoffstadt.

La Rabida's Thanksgiving feast was started by a professional chef whose son was a patient there on Thanksgiving Day in 1960.