Meet Kyrie - well the version of this sweet kiddo from June of this year, he was still at UVA Children's Hospital after having received his hero heart, and a second chance at life!
We met him and his mom when I visited the hospital in coordination with Kelly and Finn to bring up shark gowns to UVA for the NICU and PICU for Shark Week.
If I remember correctly (things are still a little hazy for me during that time as I was recovering myself from a month of having my wound vac), when we first took his gown up, he was still intubated. This is obviously a couple days later.
Tonight, I'm writing this post to show just how much thought, love, and emotion goes into making a gown.
We met him and his mom when I visited the hospital in coordination with Kelly and Finn to bring up shark gowns to UVA for the NICU and PICU for Shark Week.
If I remember correctly (things are still a little hazy for me during that time as I was recovering myself from a month of having my wound vac), when we first took his gown up, he was still intubated. This is obviously a couple days later.
Tonight, I'm writing this post to show just how much thought, love, and emotion goes into making a gown.
This is Kyrie today working towards six months post transplant, growing, thriving, and getting stronger each day.
With that...he outgrew his gown - OH NO!!! It is such an awesome thing to follow children, what them defeat all odds, grow stronger, healthier and happier as each day goes by. It does create a little more work, but it is work that I am more than thrilled to have.
His first gown was easy to get made - he loves Olaf...ordered fabric, done. His next gown, was needed in a bit of a rush, well in a lot of a rush for life as it is right now around here...it becomes a little more complicated. Luckily, I had a few gowns that were already made and in need of a home, which we use for situations just like this. I sent pictures to Montanna and she picked out one that she liked the most, after we nailed down the right size. She picked a Dr. Seuss one - swoon, one of my favorites!
With that...he outgrew his gown - OH NO!!! It is such an awesome thing to follow children, what them defeat all odds, grow stronger, healthier and happier as each day goes by. It does create a little more work, but it is work that I am more than thrilled to have.
His first gown was easy to get made - he loves Olaf...ordered fabric, done. His next gown, was needed in a bit of a rush, well in a lot of a rush for life as it is right now around here...it becomes a little more complicated. Luckily, I had a few gowns that were already made and in need of a home, which we use for situations just like this. I sent pictures to Montanna and she picked out one that she liked the most, after we nailed down the right size. She picked a Dr. Seuss one - swoon, one of my favorites!
I still wanted them to feel like this gown was specially made just for them - even if it came out of the container where I keep gowns of various sizes as extras for emergencies. That lead me to searching online for Dr. Seuss themed embroidery patterns and I found this one Oh the Places You'll Go! how fitting for a heart warrior, for all of these kiddos that receive a second chance at life, that regardless of the hand dealt to them they continue to work so hard each day just to live.
Then I had to figure out the colors of the balloon and wording...this is when I found myself crying big, ugly tears because everything just came together in the right ways.
I had scraps of rainbow fabric from a gown last year (if not the year before), symbolizing the hope his family had in receiving a hero heart in his hour of need, and the hope they have had each day since. The balloon is then outlined in red and blue, the colors of the congenital heart defect awareness ribbon, and then finally the wording, and the basket are done in green. The color that symbolizes organ donation...because without that Kyrie wouldn't have the ability to go anywhere, to do anything, to grow-up and follow the dreams he has. God bless his donor family and the sacrifice they made in their darkest hour to provide another family with the ability to have many more days, weeks, and months together. You are the hero, just as much as Kyrie and his family are.
Designing gowns isn't the easiest job in the world, sometimes I'm stuck on an idea, other times it is so emotionally overwhelming because I want to create the perfect gown for each child...but it really lets my creative side flourish, my heart brighten...and it can be super fun as well.
Best of luck and love Kyrie on your upcoming G-tube surgery Tuesday!
Then I had to figure out the colors of the balloon and wording...this is when I found myself crying big, ugly tears because everything just came together in the right ways.
I had scraps of rainbow fabric from a gown last year (if not the year before), symbolizing the hope his family had in receiving a hero heart in his hour of need, and the hope they have had each day since. The balloon is then outlined in red and blue, the colors of the congenital heart defect awareness ribbon, and then finally the wording, and the basket are done in green. The color that symbolizes organ donation...because without that Kyrie wouldn't have the ability to go anywhere, to do anything, to grow-up and follow the dreams he has. God bless his donor family and the sacrifice they made in their darkest hour to provide another family with the ability to have many more days, weeks, and months together. You are the hero, just as much as Kyrie and his family are.
Designing gowns isn't the easiest job in the world, sometimes I'm stuck on an idea, other times it is so emotionally overwhelming because I want to create the perfect gown for each child...but it really lets my creative side flourish, my heart brighten...and it can be super fun as well.
Best of luck and love Kyrie on your upcoming G-tube surgery Tuesday!
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