Why I Give: Latara Griffin's Story
August 5, 2025
At the age of four, Latara Griffin contracted chicken pox. It attacked her immune system and attached to her spine, leading to encephalitis. This caused brain swelling and the loss of her ability to walk.
Latara's Story of Childhood Hospitalization
"I asked my mom what made her take me to the hospital, and she said I began seizing — without losing consciousness or the ability to talk. I was scared and confused as to what was happening to my body."
Latara's mom and dad rushed her to the hospital, where she was admitted and treated with antibiotics over the course of seven days to combat the infection.
"The crazy part," shares Latara, "Is that unbeknownst to us, two other children were in the hospital fighting encephalitis. They didn't make it. They passed away. It's a miracle I survived."
While in the hospital, she recalls receiving a Jammie Pie doll from her aunt and hospital chaplains stopping by regularly to pray with her parents. She also remembers the nurses providing around-the-clock, exceptional care and all hospital staff being kind and encouraging as they helped her recover enough to leave the hospital and attempt to walk.
After a week, Latara was discharged from the hospital.
"The recovery was longer than my stay at the hospital," says Latara. "I remember my birthday August 26. I could not walk. I could only crawl though I was turning five years old. People were carrying me around. It was several more months before I could walk again."
This experience of childhood illness left an indelible impression on Latara.
"To this day at 39 years old, I still have my Jammie Pie."
Latara's Son's Childhood Hospitalization
Latara's son, Jayden, has also battled medical crises as a child.
"Jayden suffered with childhood asthma. He was in and out of the hospital. I remember when they were first trying to figure out why his oxygen levels were so low at age five and diagnosed him with asthma. He missed a lot of school due to hospitalizations for three years from kindergarten through second grade. During his many inpatient visits, the hospital chaplains would stop by and pray with us. The care team gave him toys and spent time with us."
A Desire to Give Back
Considering the kind and gentle care she and her son received as pediatric patients, Latara decided to give back. In 2012, she established Samaritan Girls in Florida where they lived. She set up toy drives for local hospitals and then distributed gifts to the children.
She and her children moved to North Carolina in 2020, and in 2024, she established the charitable organization Griffin-Haynes Brothers Foundation — in honor of her sons.
She glows, "This is something my sons will spearhead, and this will be their legacy. I had a vision to do this for a while before it happened, and it turned out to be a great success."
A Gift to WakeMed Children's Hospital
On July 31, 2025, she and her sons through the Griffin-Haynes Brothers Foundation went to WakeMed Children's Hospital with numerous donated toys and books for story time. Her sons are nationally renowned football players headed to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where they will play college football.
Her sons are sixth and thirteenth in the state and have interviewed with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Their fame helped to build a sizable gathering among hospitalized children for their visit to WakeMed.
Latara comments, "My sons are givers, and we'd been initially thwarted by a championship game in our first attempt to do the story hour and toy donation event. Yet, my sons didn't forget and asked me what happened to our Christmas in July event. I contacted Mehgan with WakeMed Child Life, and she quickly orchestrated the event, so we could come."
Her son, Jayden, agrees stating, "I thought the toy drive was pretty special."
Zavion adds, "Giving back and supporting who supports us is the purpose of the toy drive."
In reflecting on the opportunity to be a giver after her own life-altering experience of hospitalization followed by her son's three-year trauma of being in and out of the hospital, she is deeply grateful.
"It was amazing to see and feel the humble nature from some of those children," recalls Latara. "They didn't want to take too many toys to ensure there were some for other children in the hospital. It teaches those serving humility in how blessed we are to be able to walk and talk and lead normal lives."
The Griffin-Haynes Brothers Foundation is aimed to continue giving to hospitalized pediatric patients.
Latara expounds, "It just makes sense to do it for kids that don't have any control over their situation. I'm so glad that WakeMed helped make this possible and accepted our gift of gratitude for all the hospital caregivers who show up daily to help children heal."
About Child Life Services
Child Life Specialists help children and families cope with the stress and anxiety that often accompany a hospital experience. They are trained in teaching children and adolescents about medical procedures in a developmentally appropriate manner to support your child's specific needs and facilitate effective coping methods. A family-centered resource, they cater to patients 0 to 17 and their families.
You might spot them in many different places throughout the hospital system, including the Children's Emergency Department, the Pediatric Unit, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Pediatric Rehab, Day Surgery, Endoscopy and Mental Health & Well-Being.
About WakeMed Children's Hospital
WakeMed Children’s Hospital is proud to be the only pediatric inpatient care provider in Wake County, caring for thousands of babies and children each year and always providing the highest level of care and caring to our youngest patients.
About the WakeMed Foundation
Your support helps WakeMed provide outstanding, compassionate care. Every gift improves treatments, advances medicine and builds the skills and knowledge of caregivers, demonstrating your support of WakeMed’s commitment to address dynamic and growing health care needs as well as the well-being of our community.