PITTSBURGH — Duncan Simmons was in and out of UPMC Children’s Hospital for six months, being treated for Stage 4 Burkitt Leukemia. It’s something he was diagnosed with when he was just 14 years old.
“I wasn’t really thinking about the possibility that I would die. I was more thinking about how long until I would eventually get through it,” Simmons told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek.
He said there was one thing that helped his days feel normal.
“What really helped me was getting new food,” Simmons said. “I mean, at first the food’s good, but it gets repetitive. And for kids that are in there for years without possibility of leaving, I’m sure that menu gets a little bit repetitive at times.
“I remember one night he just said, ‘I really want a chili dog,’ and there’s no chili dog on the menu for Children’s,” his dad, Chris Simmons, recalled. “So thankfully, we were able because we’re local.
Simmons is now in remission. So, when Make-A-Wish reached out to him, Simmons said he didn’t want to use his wish on himself. He wanted to help other kids he saw in Children’s Hospital going through the hardest days of their lives.
“I might as well just make things better for the kids who are going through something worse than me, and in worse situations than me, and in worse incomes than me,” Simmons said.
He asked Make-a-Wish and the Child Life Department at the hospital to help him launch “Duncan’s Diner.”
It’s a new fund to help kids who are on the ninth floor hematology/oncology unit get gift cards for food.
“Fast food items you can’t get at the hospital or generally other food that’s not available for obvious reasons,” he said. “I mean, they can only have so much on a menu.”
Make-a-Wish donated Sheetz gift cards to help with food and transportation costs and also made a cash donation to set up Duncan’s Diner. DoorDash matched that donation.
“The initial donation from Door Dash helps 275 families, so we’re hoping to keep this going,” Chris Simmons said.
Duncan Simmons said, while it isn’t much, it’s one thing that can bring a smile to a kid’s face. His mom agreed.
“Putting a smile on the face of those kids, you don’t see it all the time, so when you can make it happen, it’s a wonderful thing,” Neelie Simmons said.
The Simmons family hopes Duncan’s Diner can continue bringing a smile to those children’s faces.
If you’re interested in donating to Duncan’s Diner, click here.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
