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A look inside - WVU Children's Hospital Hem/Onc Suprise Box

12/11/2016

West Virginia University Children's Hospital is one of our newest recipients of a hematology/oncology unit surprise box!

Their hospital was selected in honor of Matthew Rose, who was not only a gown receipient and patient at their facility, but the cousin of our former Treasurer.

Matthew "Super Matt" passed away in 2014 after a six year battle on and off again battle with cancer. He had been diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor in 2008 on his right kidney. His cancer relapsed three times. He was treated both at a hospital more local to our location, but also West Virginia University Children's Hospital.

This is Matthew, when he passed away he not only left behind his parents, but his brother Troy as well. We made Troy a Freckles that matched Matthew's gown before he passed away.

Below shows the items that were included inside the surprise box that we sent to WVU Children's Hospital.

Beads of Courage Bead Bags
Chemotherapy Bag Covers
Fabric Headbands
Reusable Face Masks
Band-Aids
Stickers

The first four items were all made from remnant fabric from gown requests and the last two are items that have been donated throughout the year just for this specific collection we do all the time.

It isn't much in comparison to what these children and teens go through, but we hope they find comfort in the little things...because not only are complete strangers thinking about them, but they're in their corner cheering them on!

We're also working on getting together our Tween & Teen Program that has been officially announced on our Facebook Page, and will be live on our website here shortly as well. This program has two sides that is recognizes the unmet needs of children in the hospital that are over the age of 10 years old, but it is also in honor and memory of another local cancer warrior her that passed away in 2012.

There will be more to come soon on that - and definitely new opportunities to help support Gracie's Gowns through this program between sewing opportunities, collection drives, and even packaging days.

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Season of Giving with Gracie's Gowns

12/20/2013

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I don't always get to blog every single thing that I want to for Gracie's Gowns because of our internet situation and the website editor not allowing me the ability to access it, but today I have the moment to share with you something super special we've done over the last couple of days.

Most of you know that I have always been the person to help anyone in need, even in our current situation where we don't have much ourselves, I always try to find a way to help when and where we can. This is just a part of who I am as a person, ever since I was a little girl...it has only been impacted more by making each of the gowns we have to date and just helping make a smile happen.

I feel it is also important to do so because I have children and I want them to see the good in the world, to have a giving and compassionate spirit - to help make the difference just one person's life...so that being said, through Gracie's Gowns we have done a little giving of our own to other groups and organizations. As a few know, my children and I will be moving this coming summer, so it was a concern about where to store and how to keep all the fabrics we've been given that haven't been requested for gowns, or that the length isn't big enough for the age group it is targeted towards - well we found just the place for it.

45 yards of cotton and flannel fabrics are headed as we speak to Silicon Valley, California to the chapter of Days for Girls International located there.

I have personally been following the main office of Days for Girls International for at least a year, if not more and found their organization through kamsnaps.com when we were added to their charity page. I can clearly remember being in middle school when "mother nature" decided to first make her appearance and being totally mortified because it was summer time, and I of course was wearing khaki shorts - thankfully I had a super long t-shirt on and could cover everything, the rest of the day, but it was just devastating for me because I had nothing - and yet we live in country where it is easily accessible and okay to be in school (we may not want to be) or work when that time of the month comes. Imagine being in a third-world country that you have to stay in a room for a week each month because you have no way to take care of yourself - or taking measures that could cause severe health problems just so you can work.

So we were more than thrilled to help!! On their website is even patterns with instructions on how to make the personal hygiene kits and where you can mail them too once completed! You can have a whole sewing day even! There are chapters all over the world you can join your local one and help out too if you sew, donate fabric and so much more.

Another organization we donated fabric to was to Cindy's Tubie Pads and More! Cindy contacted me about what we do with our scrap fabric from gowns and if we would be interested in donating some of it to her.

Cindy is the Great-Aunt of Karing for Kyler who inspired her project. So we loaded up a box of our flannel remnant pieces and sent those off to Maryland (only a state away from us) - the box was 11 lbs in weight!! There are a LOT of g-tube pads that can be made from that!

So we have a little more space now to keep the fabrics that we have and of course more scraps for other purposes later on. We do use a lot of our scraps for preemie and newborn gowns, but also for when we do the craft show in October to help raise money for Gracie's Gowns (fabric and shipping expenses mostly), but we always have pieces that we can't use or we just have a lot left over from.

Last but not least in any means - we mailed off the box we were collecting stickers in for Maggie's Sticker Box.

So many stickers were mailed, picked up, dropped off to us - 10,540 to be exact! Once again we are so thrilled to be able to participate in so many efforts to just make a child smile, especially in a situation they cannot control. It is the little things that have the biggest impact and this is definitely one of them.

Miss. Maggie is so precious to our family, being the first ever recipient of a personalized gown and her courageous battle with cancer twice! She is a diva and a superhero! In November Maggie donated 30,000 stickers to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio to the pediatric hematology and oncology pharmacy where they are used to decorate the chemotherapy bags! These stickers will be going to the same place - this is where Maggie has received all her treatments and procedures. Keep up the awesome work Princess Maggie! We look forward to sending another box soon!

There you have it folks - just a few more ways we give ourselves! We definitely always appreciate the love and support we receive here at Gracie's Gowns, but it fills our hearts so much to give back in return. I know the work we do gives back in so many ways and touches so many lives and hearts in a way I never dreamed would be possible, but I still love giving beyond that and spreading the love and support where we can. Each organization is connected and intertwined, just like each of our families are in so many ways.

Remember, especially during this time of year, to reach out to others around you and let them know you are there with them, helping them get through the next minute, hour, day, week or even month...that they are not alone in their journeys and that they are special to you! Sometimes all it takes is a little post on Facebook, a private message, an e-mail, or even just a little card in the mail saying that you're thinking about them.

We look forward to what is in store for Gracie's Gowns in 2014 and all that we are able to accomplish in the many years to come. Have a great Christmas and New Year in case I can't get on the blog before then!

Gracie's Gowns

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Gracie's Gowns Special Project for Maggie's Sticker Box

11/2/2013

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Gracie's Gowns made the very first personalized gown in April of 2013. It was given to a precious little princess in Ohio named Maggie.

She was diagnosed with a Wilm's Tumor and has been through many surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy and many other therapies and treatments as well. We met Maggie's family through a marriage conference event and have just made her family since then a part of our own family.

Maggie being the little princess and fashionita she is would not settle for less then princess level care and fun while in the hospital. She has been known to wear tutus with her hospital gown, butterfly wings, crowns, big flowers on headbands and so much more. More recently they pharmacy started putting stickers on her chemo to make it "princess perfect" and now because of Maggie the pharmacy wants to do it for ALL the children on the hematology/oncology unit.

That being said - Maggie now has a mission called Maggie's Sticker Box and of course we want to help her out in a big way! So we've started to collect stickers in a large box to be the start of Maggie's Sticker Box. So if you have any stickers for boys of girls, seasonal or just for fun, characters or just cute animals send them our way and we will include them in our box.

Awesome right?! There is nothing more exciting to me than children helping children get through the toughest and hardest moments of their lives. And what a simple, but meaningful mission Maggie has! So below is our box that we are going to fill up with everyone's help and the start of our sticker collection drive for Maggie's Sticker Box!

Stickers can be mailed to:
Gracie's Gowns
159 Ordinary Road
Mineral, VA 23117

The hospital they will be used at is Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio - they will be used on the hematology/oncology unit! We'd love to have our box filled and mailed by Christmas to Maggie and her family so they can be used over the holiday season - when of course besides birthdays is the worst time to ever be in the hospital!

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A look inside - WVU Children's Hospital Hem/Onc Suprise Box

Season of Giving with Gracie's Gowns

Gracie's Gowns Special Project for Maggie's Sticker Box

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