...to share some things

...that were key in helping our little girl heal...

For Abbey, the best support for her has been the tangibles.

• The letters she has received.  
• The cards her friends have sent.  
• The pictures her class and friends have sent.
• The many videos she has received.  

Friends from all over the country have sent her videos.  Even friends that she doesn't remember...these bring a sweet smile to her face; because she knows, so many people are cheering for her to get better.

One of the ways in which we were lucky this time is that she was able to have some of her classmates actually visit her while she was in the hospital!

She couldn't wait for them to visit.  Just thinking about them coming to the hospital to visit her put such a smile on her face.

Good idea #1:  When your child visits a friend in the hospital bring a game for them to play together.

Charley is Abbey's best friend from school.  His mom brought him (and his little sister) up to visit twice.  She even brought Connect Four for them to play!

Abbey could only stay up for about twenty minutes for that first visit, but Charley was such a great sport about that.

Good idea #2:  Bring big giant posters that your class makes to hang on your student's wall.  These were Abbey's favorites.

Mrs. Chappuis has been one of Abbey's biggest supporters.  

Poster number 1

Good idea #3:  Borrow games from the child life/family center for your child to play when family and friends come to visit.

Painting and friends...

Good idea #4:  Arrange for visits from the college athletes from the nearest Big Ten University.  This definitely was a highlight from Abbey's hospital stay.

These students and other volunteers come nearly every week as their schedule permits.  They take a photo, sign autographs, and talk with the patient's and their families at Mott.  Abbey was too tired to stay awake and wait for them that evening...but she was insistent we wake her up when they finally arrived.  You can see she was not disappointed.

Three field hockey players and a track runner.

Good idea #5:  Have a unit host...whose job it is to make your daughter happy.  She sat with Abbey on a couple different occasions and drew pictures for her to give to her teacher and classmates.

It's funny...Abbey had four amazing teams of doctors following her care....and Mark and I spent hours sitting by her side...yet it's our community of friends and family members (siblings, grandparents, extended family) and even strangers, that have truly helped her the most by bringing a smile to her face by showing her that they care.