Four-year-old Bently Barnes needed to get ready. He opened the closet door, reached for his camouflage backpack, then scanned his bedroom for the essentials.

He grabbed his favorite stuffed animal named, “Marshall,” a truck, tractor and his most prized possession – his blanket. He placed them in his backpack with care, zipped the travel bag and placed it next to his bed.

Bently told his mom he was packed and ready to travel from their home in North Carolina to Boston Children’s Hospital. And he was “ready for a new belly,” he said.

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