When my twin sister called me from Los Angeles to tell me that her 10-year-old son, Jackson, had a brain tumor. I was completely numb. It didn't seem real. Within 24 hours, he had gone from a basic MRI to the operating room. I felt far away and helpless at my home in Nashville. All I could do was pray. When I finally got to visit, Jackson wanted to show me his journals. They were filled with his strategies for coping on “MRI Day” which, for him, happened every three months. He had developed ways to calm himself when they… Read More
Hospital
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We all need extra love and comfort sometimes, especially if you’re a kid going through a difficult time. That’s why I started “Lucy’s Love Blankets.” I make and ship flannel blankets for free to kids going through an illness, a divorce in their family, or the loss of a loved one. Anyone needing a little extra love. It all started three years ago when I was eight. My mom had taught me how to sew and I thought I’d make a homemade blanket for a friend for her birthday. She loved it and I really enjoyed making it. So I… Read More
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I never thought my calling in life would be to dress up as Spider-Man and visit sick children in hospitals all around the country. But that is where God has led me. In real life, I've been a corrections officer in Los Angeles for 20 years. But my true joy comes from bringing smiles and comfort to people that need it most. My mom was a true inspiration to me, and when she died of cancer in 2009, I went through a very dark period. I kept asking God to give me some signs to get through this tough time and to… Read More
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I went into marriage expecting I would need a lot of medical intervention in order to have children. I had been told my chances were slim. Five months into my marriage, I began thinking about my options, but before I could start, we found out I was pregnant! Throughout the pregnancy, I had a feeling of gloom and doom because I kept seeing warning signs that something wasn’t right. At 25 weeks, my water broke. I was in shock and thought, “my pregnancy is over” because I didn’t think a baby could survive that early. Days later, my son was… Read More
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I was 19 weeks into my difficult pregnancy when I was told by our local hospital that I would miscarry and there wasn't much they could do. I wanted to give our child every possible chance at life, so I started receiving blood transfusions. But at 23 weeks, I ran a high fever and began to hemorrhage. I was rushed two hours away to UAB hospital, the only hospital with a Level IV NICU in the state. I gave birth to our son, Cullen, but he weighed just 1.7 pounds and was considered a micro-preemie. The doctors only gave him a… Read More
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Seeing children battling cancer has always tugged at my heart. Five years ago, I saw a story about a teenager who was battling leukemia. He was fighting for his life at Children’s Hospital, but he spent time going around to other rooms, encouraging kids in their battle. Wow. I was heartbroken when he passed away. I heard his family was struggling to pay his medical bills. A couple nights later, I saw a Kitchen Aid mixer on television and had this wild idea. My mother had a great pound cake recipe. What if I bought that mixer, made some pound cakes and… Read More