Jennifer Garner Takes Time Off To Visit Sick Kids

Despite rumors swirling on social media and tabloids regarding the demise of Jennifer Garner’s marriage to fellow actor Ben Affleck, Garner’s commitment to her work on-screen and off-screen as an advocate for children’s causes, has not wavered amidst her personal drama.

Jennifer Garner visited Henry Shepherd and other children and their families at the Scottish Rite hospital in Atlanta on Sunday. Shepherd suffers from osteosarcoma, a type of blood disorder.

Garner spent about 10 minutes with Shepherd and his family, chatting and taking pictures with them before visiting other sick children at the hospital.

Shepherd is a fan of the movie Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day, and was excited by the unexpected visit from Garner, who starred in the film.

“I think she was flattered that he recognized her,” Henry’s mother, Carrie Shepherd, said in an interview with People.

“She visited with us for a while, and it’s hard to explain, it just felt so natural,” she said. “She was so down to earth, so genuine.”

“Someone said they saw her crying at the nurse’s station after seeing all of the sick children with cancer. I think it really got to her, especially as a mother,” she said. “She is a very sweet person with a very big heart.”

The role of children’s advocate is a regular one for Jennifer Garner, who puts time and effort into helping disadvantaged youth.

Garner has been associated with the international children’s charity Save the Children for some time. Initially Garner’s role was that of Artist Ambassador, where she traveled across the country, visiting schools and schoolchildren, promoting early childhood literacy programs, and the needs of disadvantaged children.

But last year, Garner upped her ante, and expanded her role in the organization by becoming a member of the Save the Children board of trustees, which requires a six year commitment to the organization.

“In my new role with Save the Children, I hope to make an even bigger difference in the lives of children right here in America and around the world,” said Garner in a press release from Save the Children. “All children, whether they are born into poverty or affluence, have the right to grow up healthy, learn and make something of their lives.”

Garner can also be found assisting other children’s organizations raise funds for research and to fight any number of illnesses and disease that affect children. Last month on Facebook, she was requesting $1 donations to the Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray Foundation to help raise money to find a cure for Batten disease.

And Garner’s ability to put children first seems to go beyond her charity work and into her own home. As her marriage to Affleck comes to an end, they have been seen with their children, vacationing as a family, and plan to live separately, but in the same home so that they may continue to co-parent their three young children, according to a report in Us Weekly.

Jennifer Garner has been in Atlanta filming her upcoming movie, Miracles From Heaven, a movie based on the book of the same name by author Christy Wilson Beam.

Miracles From Heaven chronicles the struggle of the author’s young daughter who suffered from a rare and incurable gastrointestinal disease, and her “miraculous” cure. Miracles From Heaven is slated for release in 2016.

[Image courtesy of Rich Polk/Getty Images]