Young 'kindness warrior' hosting toy drive on Saturday for hospitalized kids like him

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - At 11 years old, Eric Piburn has faced health problems all of his life, but has kept himself busy through acts of kindness. That continues with his next toy drive for kids like him.

Eric is in need of a heart and double lung transplant. He has endured four open-heart surgeries. Because of this, he has spent many days of his childhood at hospitals and doctor visits. 

He knows first-hand how boring and lonely it can be in the hospital, which is why his kindness is coming full circle. 

"When they give toys out to me, it feels good. But when I give out toys to them, it gets me warm and tingly," Eric said during a visit on Good Day Tampa Bay, "You can never too many warm-and-tinglies."

Eric is holding his own toy drive that will eventually go to St. Joseph's Christmas in July event, which takes place July 26. 

"He does spend a lot of at the hospital. He does benefit from other people bringing things," said his mother, Randi. "This year, he decided to -- since we are the '2018 Kindness Warrior' -- it was time for him to do a toy drive of his own."

Eric's toy drive will be held Saturday, July 20 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at "American Social" in Tampa.

He will help collect new and unwrapped toys to be given to hospitalized children. If you can't make it, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital will host their toy drive on July 26.