Pain into Purpose: North Hills family donates school supplies in memory of daughter

When the 2024-25 school year begins on Wednesday, kindergarten students will have some new school supplies thanks to a local family who made a generous donation in memory of their daughter.

Josephine Pinkston would have been starting kindergarten at McIntyre Elementary School this year but she passed away due to complications at birth in 2019.

On July 22, what would’ve been her fifth birthday, Josephine’s mom Catherine, dad Bobby, and younger brother Beau dropped off boxes of school supplies to the district’s administration center.

The supplies were donated by the Pinkston's friends and family members after Catherine created an Amazon wish list.

"Every July since Josephine’s passing, we have raised money for organizations that support bereaved women and families. This year, we wanted to honor what should have been Josephine's first year of elementary school, which is why we chose to collect school supplies for the North Hills School District,” she explained.

The donated supplies have been distributed to all four elementary schools and will be used by kindergarten students this school year.

Catherine said, "I know the heartbreak of losing Josephine will never fully heal, but I find peace and joy in turning my pain into purpose. We can all make the world a better place; it just takes one act of kindness. And that's what our family will continue to do every year in memory of Josephine."

Catherine credits organizations like The Still Remembered Project and Aching Arms for helping her navigate life as a "loss mom."

The Pinkstons still live in the North Hills School District and younger brother Beau will start kindergarten at McIntyre Elementary School in August of 2026.