| ANNUAL APPEAL |
October 2008 |
Dear Family and Friends,
Each year we sit down to write this letter and wonder what can we say that hasn't been said? It's been 10 years since Molly died, have we used up all her inspirations? What has she taught us this year that we didn't know last? And then the words come, Molly has something to say, something to teach, someone to touch. she still has work to do.
We're in the halls of her hospital, Emanuel Children's Hospital. We are there to meet with Child Life and answer the needs of their program. More crayons, new paint for the playroom, special carts so activities can be brought to the bedside of children unable to get to the playroom, butterflies for the children to release in the garden, Santa will soon be here- do we have enough toys?
In the halls, we see the IV poles wheeling down the hall - a vibrant bald child in tow. We recognize the vacant smiles of their parents, colored with fear. We remember smiling that way before, our hearts ache for these parents, and it can feel like yesterday. We reach out to them, share Molly's story, and allow ourselves to be examples of surviving heartbreak.
You could ask a hundred families what it's like being hospitalized with your child and you would get a hundred answers. But if you asked the kids, they would tell you it's not that bad. "There's movie nights in the Starlight Lounge, with real movie seats and popcorn and a big screen with curtains", "We can bake real cookies in the activity kitchen", "We can play instruments in bed or with our friends in the playroom", "We get to make stuff with art supplies and decorate our doors", "We can play house, Lego's, paint, pretend, create and play like a kid, in the playroom", "We can learn about butterflies and even release one into the garden", "We have friends here".
The friends were Molly's favorite part. Kids that understood being bald and mastered maneuvering an IV pole as if an extremity. We remember Molly and Emily talking about whom had the prettier medicine running through their tubes - Emily had blue, Molly's was red. Nurses had to vote and of course, it was a tie. It was not a surprise when Molly's last wish was for us to take care of these very friends and the ones who would follow in her footsteps.
To imagine what it feels like to lose a child, is impossible. To survive it, is heartbreaking . To live everyday in her Legacy is, a gift paid forward. One of Molly's favorite people once said to me "I see everything I gained from her being here, instead of everything I lost when she died". A few wise words can really change the way you choose to live without someone. We wonder what it would be like today, had Molly not asked us to carry on for her. This, we can't imagine. It is amazing to see what she gets accomplished year after year, for her special hospital friends.
We don't do this alone; it's through generous support from you that allows Molly's fund to directly impact her friends at Emanuel Children's Hospital. This year, we will bring Santa and his Winter Wonderland back to the children, we will fill the newly remodeled playroom with toys and activities, and we will provide Child Life with the funds they need to serve fully the children and families who find themselves hospitalized at Emanuel Children's Hospital.
Join us in raising money for these amazing children by supporting the Molly Thompson Memorial Fund. Be a part of Molly's magic, we ask you to give from your heart, anything helps. Giving a tax-deductible donation has been made easy and secure by clicking here to donate online.
Warm wishes to you this holiday season,
Molly's Family
Mike, Wendy & Bree Thompson
What does Molly's fund do?
Molly's funding supports The Child Life Therapy Program at Emanuel Children's Hospital. The Child Life Therapy Program helps children cope with hospitalization and pain through play. Child Life Therapists are trained in the area of play and emotional support for children. They work closely with children and families, using a variety of techniques and services - such as music, animals and horticulture - to help minimize the stress of a hospital experience. Molly's money ensures they have the funds they need when their budget falls short.
Pediatric Holiday Party
Every year, Emanuel Children's Hospital serves thousands of children and their families. Children who battle cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, children burned, in accidents, managing chronic illness or genetic concerns. Children who need emotional and physical support in addition to medicine. Children who live everyday with armor, fighting to be a kid.
So... we celebrate with them! Every December, the children who spent time hospitalized come together with their families and PARTY! Breakfast with Santa, a real DJ and music, Mrs. Clause, local community heroes, dancers, staff and volunteers lead the children through the transformed Magic Wonderland at Emanuel Children's Hospital.
But the real magic happens as new friendships form. Parents, who find their lives "different" from the rest, meet others like them. Children, who don't have the privilege of "normalcy" all of a sudden, are the majority. Lasting alliances are formed and they become stronger- together. Our Annual Holiday Party has become so much more than sitting on Santa's lap for a toy. We are proud and thankful to our supporters for allowing the magic to grow and continue.
Pediatric Playroom
The 3rd floor of Emanuel Children's Hospital is more than a place to receive medical care; it's a place to be a kid! The playroom is painted, capturing and sharing the spirit of Molly with her friends, complete with a mini-hospital where children can learn about their own procedures and treatments through medical play, a special wall to hang their artistic master pieces, toys, trucks, videos, puzzles, games, and a special doll house, delivered personally by Molly weeks before she died.
The Children's Garden
When Molly was battling cancer, we spent quiet moments along the paths of the Children's Garden. The flowers were bulbs, the shrubs- just babies and the trees barely reached our shoulders. It was too young to attract birds and butterflies- a few of Molly's favorite things, so Molly decided the garden needed a bird house and pretty stepping stones to invite birds and butterflies. The birdhouse was placed, it bears her name and Molly patiently taught her hospital friends how to make stepping stones out of concrete and small treasures. Today the garden has grown, the tree's are tall, providing shade, butterflies dance all around, birds sing and the stepping stones can still be found, placed in between the magical forest.
Wishes
Every once in a while, a child needs a little extra support. Many wishing organizations grant one wish, others will grant a second, but sometimes a child's needs go beyond. Molly's fund allows The Childlife Specialists to reach out and offer support to a child who simply needs something else. Our wishes are simple; a puppy, a computer, concert tickets, a game boy or a spa day with grandma.
