15-year-old delivers handmade Valentine’s to patients at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital

Since fifth grade, Emily Russell has designed and crafted "get well" and "congratulations on your new baby" cards for inpatients at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital.

On Valentines Day, the Charleston County School of Arts sophomore from West Ashley brightened dozens of patients' days when she walked room to room, hand delivering the cards.

"Today is amazing," Emily told her mom.

What started out as an idea for a service project has blossomed into a passion for the 15 year old. With the help of her mother, Sue Ann Russell, Emily has made about 1,000 handmade cards for Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital patients. Emily was inspired to make the cards by her grandmother who wrote follow-up cards during her time as a volunteer at the hospital years ago.

Emily creates the homemade cards every year on Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day, and the hospital staff includes them on meal trays to cheer up patients.