Hunter Henderson was a vibrant 4-year-old with sparkling blue eyes who adored superheroes and had an infectious love for life.

So when he died at Dell Children's Hospital on Dec. 28 after an accident at home in Southwest Austin, friends and neighbors, including 10-year-old Natalie Smith, were devastated.

"Natalie just adored Hunter. He was such a shining star; he was so bright, so his death was a lot for her to handle," Natalie's mom, Katy Smith, said. "She went to see the counselor at her school, and she encouraged her to take her grief and channel that to do something positive for other people. Natalie really grabbed onto that idea and ran with it."

As a result, Hunter's Heroes, a superhero-themed toy drive organized by Natalie that will benefit patients at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, was born. Natalie plans to give new, unopened donations of superhero-themed action figures, books, coloring books, socks, games and pajamas to pediatric patients in early February.

"Hunter loved superheroes so, so, so much, so I knew I wanted to do something related to that, and I also knew I wanted to help people," Natalie said. "For kids, sometimes they need extra support, and I think it's just something they would really like, especially when they're sick. This could help take their minds off it."

Laura Wilson, a certified child life specialist at Dell Children's, is helping to coordinate the drive on the hospital's end. Wilson said Hunter's Heroes is an amazing way for Natalie to "give back to the community in honor of her friend and help kids have a more positive experience at the hospital."

Wilson said donated toys will be distributed to various units, including oncology, trauma, intensive care and neurology. A toy "can honestly transform the way that kids think about the hospital. If kids are scared and anxious, we use toys to normalize their environment," Wilson said. "In a time when they lose all control and don't have a choice of what's happening to them, letting them choose a toy gives them back some control and puts a smile on their face."

Hunter's family, which includes mom, Jessica, dad, Chance, and big sister, Reese, said in a statement that they are "touched and honored" by Natalie's idea. Chance Henderson is an Austin Police Department officer, and once the drive is complete, donations will be transported to Dell Children's via a police SWAT vehicle.

"Though our story does not have a happy ending, we are hoping this can bring joy to others in Hunter's name," the Henderson family said. "He was a boy full of life, and he would want others to continue to experience happiness and joy."