Logan Stolberg was 16 years old when he died after 22 months of treatment for B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, but his observation from a hospital bed at Tampa General Hospital has grown into a statewide effort to comfort other teenagers facing the same fight. His parents, Jennifer and Randy Stolberg, turned his list of hospital wish-list items into Logan's Heroes, a nonprofit that now delivers duffle bags of comfort supplies to six hospitals across Florida.
Logan was diagnosed on November 15, 2021, in room E501 at Tampa General Hospital, according to Logan's Heroes. During his hospitalization, Logan noticed that children in the hospital were often by themselves and began asking how people were helping them, as reported by Tampa Bay 28. That question set the foundation's mission in motion: Logan and his mother started compiling a list of items teenagers could actually use during long hospital stays, rather than the toys and games typically stocked for younger patients.
A Gap in Care for Teenage Patients
Logan's firsthand frustration pointed to a recognized gap in pediatric oncology support. The foundation says donations often catered to younger children, leaving teens with little support. To pass the time during his own care, Logan and his mother played Uno and built Legos together, according to the station's report — small rituals that would later shape what goes into every duffle bag the foundation assembles.
Jennifer Stolberg described her son as someone with a big heart who was funny and sarcastic, and also very smart, according to the same account. Randy Stolberg said Logan's positive attitude is what inspired the foundation's name. Jennifer said the family simply wants to give back and bring smiles and laughter to other children and families going through what theirs went through.
What's Inside Each Duffle Bag
Each duffle bag put together by Logan's Heroes includes a large blanket, a beanie, a personal fan, Legos, and a deck of Uno cards. The Logan Michael Stolberg Foundation relies on donations to keep assembling the bags, per its website. The organization also maintains a public Amazon Wish List, which it linked in a late-September post, per Logan's Heroes.
The Tampa Bay area's civic and first-responder community has rallied behind the cause as well. The Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Foundation partnered with Station 44 on a toy drive honoring Logan and fellow local cancer patient Mason Fox, delivering the collected toys to pediatric patients at Tampa General Hospital's Muma Children's Hospital, according to the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Foundation. Nothing Bundt Cakes in Riverview offers fundraising services.
Casino Night Fundraiser Set for Riverview
Logan's Heroes will hold its major fall fundraiser, a casino night called A Night to Bet on Hope, on Friday, October 23, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Regent, located at 6437 Watson Rd. in Riverview. The adults-only benefit will feature Las Vegas-style games, raffles, and a silent auction, with proceeds going toward assembling more chemotherapy care packages, according to the Osprey Observer.
Beyond that event, the foundation organizes a community fundraising team to walk in Blood Cancer United's annual Light The Night event in Tampa, scheduled for November 7 at The Motor Enclave.
The Broader Toll of Pediatric Leukemia
B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, the disease Logan battled, is the single most widespread form of pediatric cancer in the United States, with roughly 85 percent of childhood ALL cases classified specifically as B-cell ALL, according to research published in PubMed Central. A clinical survey published this month in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network found that more than 80 percent of families caring for a child with B-cell ALL experience major household disruption. Drugs.com MedNews mentions leukemia-related expenses of at least $100, per Drugs.com MedNews.
That financial and emotional strain is part of what makes grassroots efforts like Logan's Heroes meaningful to families navigating a diagnosis. For Jennifer and Randy Stolberg, the mission remains rooted in their son's own words and wishes from a hospital bed — a simple list of comfort items that has since reached teenagers at six hospitals across Florida.
