What is Kate's Kart?

Kate's Kart is a not-for-profit organization that supplies free books to hospitalized children to keep for their enjoyment. Our goal is to promote literacy and encourage children, and their families, to read on an ongoing basis. We are constantly in need of donations, including new books, book store gift cards and monetary contributions to help supplement the purchase of books. Please contact us for more information on making a donation, or becoming a Kate's Kart volunteer.

Who is Kate?

"Baby Kate" was born in June, 2006, to Krista and Andy Layman. Shortly after her birth, Kate was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Artesia associated with the 22q11 chromosomal deletion...or to her four year old brother, Seth, a "broken heart". 

Kate was a trooper, enduring 4 open heart surgeries, 5 heart catheterizations, and over 150 days in the hospital. During her stays, one of Kate's favorite things to do was look at books and have others read to her. Her heart and lungs were too fragile, however, and on January 15, 2008, at the age of 18 months, she was called Home and passed from her mother's arms into her Heavenly Father's arms. 

In honor of Kate, and her love of books, the Layman family decided to start a rolling book Kart in the pediatric unit of a local hospital as a way to give back to the medical community that had taken such great care of Kate.  The Kart would be filled with new books, and each child would be able to select a book off the Kart to keep.

Just 6 months after her passing, the first Kate's Kart started rolling through the halls of Lutheran Hospital in June, 2008.  As of today, we now have Karts in 16 area hospitals, plus inquiries from other hospitals as far away as New York!

Our Mission

Through the gifting of new books, Kate's Kart strives to provide a comforting diversion to hospitalized children and their families, and to foster a love of books, and ultimately literacy, by encouraging children to read and parents to read to their children.

Hospitals Served by Kate's Kart

Adams Memorial Hospital (Kart #16)

1100 Mercer Ave.

Decatur, IN 46733

Switchboard: (260) 724-2145

Ball Memorial Hospital (Kart #10)
2401 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47303
Switchboard: (765) 747-3111
Hospital Contact - Rita Cooper

Bluffton Regional Medical Center (Kart #15)

303 S. Main St.

Bluffton, IN 46714

Switchboard: (260) 824-3210

Parkview Whitley Hospital (Kart #6)

353 N. Oak St.
Columbia City, IN 46725
Switchboard: (260) 248-9000
Hospital Contact - Melissa Johnson