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Another Box of Goodies - Off to Oregon

5/13/2014

We talk about Healing Helpers a lot - why? Because they are just so awesome!!

I am all about practical gifts for children in the hospital - hence we make hospital gowns. They are fun, they can be used and they make sense. Healing Helpers do that as well.

They provide comfort, they are fun and they make sense by providing a child with a best friend that is just as special as they are! They are an awesome teaching tool for parents and care providers alike. They can help start a conversation and help "break the ice" in ways nothing else can. Just like our hospital gowns, they show the individual behind the chart...not just a diagnosis.

So with our move coming up really fast, we've been going through more and more in the crafting areas and the kiddos are more than willing to pass along their "loved, but not essentially for living with" animals over to Healing Helpers to be used in making best friends for other children around the world.

It fills my heart to see my littles so giving and so caring of other children that are just as special and unique as they are, but have more medical concerns then they do.

Then it is up to mommy to finish filling the box with her "loved, but not going to be used anytime soon, I am a craft supply hoarder at heart" supplies to be used in the making of pockets and organs and bands and more!

So we have so felt, remnant pieces of fabric from gowns and other pieces of fabric from personal projects.
The fabrics are used for the pouches with zippers and the felt is for all the other amazing surgeries, wrist bands, key chains and anything else Michael and Lani-lee come up with over there!
They are literally creative geniuses!

I can't wait to see some of these get used and look forward to sending more lovely items their way in the future - Healing Helpers is a very special business to us and great supporters as well! It is always nice to have a set of friends that share a similar passion and yet go about it in such a different way we can compliment each other and work well together!

You can see all Healing Helpers has to offer and browse their website at:

http://www.healinghelpers147.com/

Don't forget to tell them we sent you over!

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CureFest 2013

11/2/2013

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On September 1st, 2013 - Gracie's Gowns participated in CureFest for Childhood Cancer on the National Mall in Washington D.C. with 52 other organizations. We banded together for the day and there on out to advocate for pediatric cancer awareness, research, treatments and cures.
The event was co-hosted by Journey 4 A Cure and theTruth365 - both have done amazing things for children battling and surviving cancer. They not only bring awareness and research funding, but they get to you on a personal level - they tell each child's story, I'm sorry I need to rephrase that - they have each child tell THEIR story, each family share their experience in ALL aspects of the cancer world, the successes and even more heartbreaking, the losses. They show the real statistics of the pediatric cancer world and if you read each of them...it will change your life forever.

At CureFest they had several speakers - parents, siblings, organization representatives...but the ones that shook you the most were the children.

Gabriella was one of those children - her speech had you laughing at one minutes, inspired throughout and in tears over the reality of what cancer does to children. Her speech was beyond motivational - there was no way you could hear her give "the cold hard facts" without making it your mission to do something to make a difference.

I am posting her here, because this past weekend, Gabriella lost her battle very suddenly to a brain tumor. She was diagnosed in November of 2012 and passed away October 26, 2013. She made the last year of her life a mission, a legacy even...to show Virginia and the world they HAVE to do something to improve the lives of children battling cancer, to "give them their childhood" to not only treat, but cure the cancers and in a way that doesn't rob them of the life they deserve. She raised funding for the Make-A-Wish foundation after she was granted the wish to go to Paris, France with her family - she knew that other children deserved the chance to have that one lasting memory with their families. She helped raise over $250,000 for Make-A-Wish in just one campaign.

Gabriella - know that you are deeply missed, but never forgotten! You have impacted and changed so many lives that can only be counted by God. Your parents will continue your work, those that are touched by you have been inspired to do the same as well. We may never do it as great as you did, but we will always try our hardest.

Throughout the day we gave away 50 goodie bags to those that stopped by our table - here is a collage of the items that were included. Knowing we were headed to this event, simply because it was local enough to us to do so, I invited other organizations and businesses to contribute to our bags and help spread the word about who they are and what they do.

Healing Helpers participated with their Heart Key Chains that they also embroidered a Yellow Ribbon on.

Socks4Surgery participated with their information and magnets.

Pink Door Fabrics sent some quilting bundles of fabric - Chelsea and Charlie have been amazing with donating and letting me purchase fabric at a lesser cost for gowns.

Bee Brave sent their mini stress relievers - which if you remember from our blog on them, they were made from scraps of fabric from our gowns.

We of course included our bracelets and information.

Hollie is a Thirty-One Consultant and contributed her information and nail files from Thirty-One Gifts, she also contributed our raffle item for the day too!

The Hensons contributed their information about Zeal for Life (will update this with their website, once I have it again, it is not with me right now).

Tricia contributed her Pediatric Cancer Awareness bows! One of which was given to Gabriella when we met her. She wanted it so bad and decided it looked great on her dress for the day!

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our bags! I know each item was well received!

One of the best moments was meeting The Beltran family! We had been working on these freckles for his siblings and when I found out that they were going to be at CureFest, I just knew I had to get them done.

Dominic was a local little guy that passed away from cancer - he loved superman so the fabric was made with superman and each one had a different color for the eyes, arms, legs and stomach and then we embroidered his name in gold.

This is the page they created for Dominic on Facebook and they are continuing their efforts for pediatric cancer research, awareness and advocacy!

https://www.facebook.com/Staystrong4dom

Here are the rest of our photos from CureFest for those who want to see some of them. I hope you enjoy them and check out all the amazing pages and organizations we've posted on the blog.

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Harley the Healing Helper Hippo Visit

11/2/2013

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So while I am on the Healing Helper mindset - Harley came for a visit to Gracie's Gowns while on the search for his family!

We had such a great time with him in September (yes, that's right September and I am just now getting to blog on it) and he got to go by the rebuilding of the one elementary school from the earthquake in 2011 that rattled the whole east coast (for those that don't remember we live 4 miles from the epicenter of that earthquake), see a nuclear power plant (which is also right in our backyard essentially), visit the battlefield central of the Civil War and even Washington D.C. while he was here too!

One of the last days he was here was spent at CureFest (which will be up next for blogging, but that is when we went to Washington D.C). So here are some picture from his stay with us!

This was one taken up at CureFest - he was also trying on one of the Healing Helper gowns that we had made...silly hippo!

I have more pictures, but I am saving them for the CureFest blog from when we were in Washington D.C.

To sign your family up to take part in the fun of Harley's Adventures follow the link below. Lani-lee and Michael have also created Harley his own Facebook page too, so make sure to stop by there as well - they have this awesome interactive map they are using as well to track his adventure in finding his family!

Sign-Up Page: http://www.healinghelpers147.com/harley
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HarleytheHealingHelper

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Healing Helpers: Comfort, Education and Friendship

11/2/2013

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I have been wanting to spotlight Healing Helpers for a long time now...but as is with life, it gets in the way and well I am finally at the library, without kiddos and can sit down and write out a couple of blogs...so I am starting with them before it closes today.

On a personal level and a professional level I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE...did I mention LOVE? Healing Helpers! Lani-Lee and Michael and all their precious children have become so near and dear to me over the last year and some it isn't funny.

The idea of using stuffed animals, which ever child has at least one they MUST drag with them everywhere they go, or at least have for naps and bedtime and turning them into a teaching tool for special needs and medically complex children is fantastic! They are practical, functional and beyond all else really help show your child (when and how they can understand) what they have been through in life. This is my son and his Healing Helper piggie (that he calls Piggie or Oinker depending on his mood I suppose). David was the first kiddo to receive one with an Autism heart - because that is his diagnosis and what he battles everyday, he has had surgery and leg braces, but this is what mattered most to me - his heart...the soul of who he is. His diagnosis does not define him, rather he defines it and it helps make him the special little-big man that he is! David loves his piggie and enjoys showing the heart off to others, showing his name and the Thomas the Train pouch inside it (he loves Thomas the Train too) and just snuggling with it at night. It has become his friend when he is hurt or we have to go to specialist we haven't been too before.

So that was on the personal level - oh plus they are so awesome to talk to on the phone and seriously spent HOURS of time with me on the phone when things went all crazy in July here with Gracie's Gowns. They were my rock, they really helped get me through that week at times!

Now professionally - we have teamed up with Healing Helpers in making smaller "animal sized" hospital gowns. These are ordered through Healing Helpers when someone orders one or just orders the gown if they already have one. This was the first Healing Helpers gown and of course was made for precious Annabelle when she had her most recent open heart surgery. It matched the gown that we made for Annabelle to wear. Since then we have made some others - and have a couple more to make as well. So I am just going to share some of the picture that they've posted of the gowns with and without their Healing Helpers.

To learn more about Healing Helpers or to even inquire and place an order for one, please visit their links below:

Website: http://www.healinghelpers147.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/healinghelpers
Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/healinghelpers

They also accept donations of materials, like new or new stuffed animals and monetary donations as well. They have a sponsorship program too and are looking to do so many more great things in the future with Healing Helpers!
So stop by and see how you can help them out too! That is how I first was connected with them was through donating stuffed animals and fabric scraps from gowns and other projects to be used for their pouches!

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Another Box of Goodies - Off to Oregon

CureFest 2013

Harley the Healing Helper Hippo Visit

Healing Helpers: Comfort, Education and Friendship

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