| April 22, 2005 Avalon's birthday in the hospital Continued... |
| This is a picture of the "outside" of Avalon's "front" door. I like to decorate our door, to show the world the beautiful creature who is currently occupying the room. The portraits were taken the day before Avalon started the Delayed Intensification phase of treatment. Her hair was entirely gone 1 week after these pictures were taken. Funny thing is, I don't remember her having hair now...I've completely embraced the "bald is beautiful" philosophy. The two small photos at the bottom of the door were taken by one of the unit nurses. In the pictures, Avalon has stolen a stethoscope and is grinning like a monkey, as she "listens" to a stuffie. The small black and white photos above the door handle, are printouts of the "Baldy" (Daddy and Avalon) pictures we had taken at Sears. We took them the day before this admission...we never even had time to get them back... Although I packed all that I could think of to make the room cheerful, I didn't have time to make birthday signs in our rush to get to ER. I did, however, have the insight to grab a stack of construction paper that the girls had been playing with. I made these signs at 3 a.m. the morning of her birthday. The ER crew were delivering another admission to J-5 at 4 a.m., and caught me hanging them on the door. They grinned, teased me, and once again, did their best to make the day bearable. The "Happy 2nd Birthday" banner is from Children's Hospital itself. Our nurses called the Child life department and told them it was Avalon's big day. Late that morning, two grinning women came bouncing in with the long banner, a poster, a birthday cake, and two presents. The poster was made by volunteer children in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters foundation. It says Happy Birthday - and was covered with Hello Kitty and Strawberry Shortcake stickers. It also had a large empty space with a pink piece of paper - so you could add personal messages. We attached special family cards to it, and hung it from her bulletin board. The birthday cake was actually delicious! We shared it with Abbey, Jacob (our Strawberry Shortcake friend), and our special angel, Kim - the unit clerk. Kim and Avalon are best buds...they share their birthday!! In fact, Kim is the one who pulled several strings, begged several people...and eventually badgered the volunteer department into printing off all of Avalon's e-card birthday greetings on her actual birthday. She's a gem, and Avalon loves her to pieces! In addition to the cake and posters, the birthday fairies brought two gifts. They were a Fisher Price Little People stable and baby animal set. Avalon loves them! She is crazy about our old Fisher Price barn, a hand-me-down from Aurora. To get a stable to match it, complete with sounds and extra animals...well, she was in her own little slice of heaven. The thoughtful gestures from Children's meant the world...to both of us. We've been in the hospital so much this month, Daddy and Mommy haven't had time to shop - much less the disposable income to do so. To have the hospital recognize the emotional toll it takes on a family to have to be "in" for a birthday, is more than I can ever thank them for. From the ER "choir", to the hospital birthday fairies, to the birthday sharing/birthday crusader, to the night nurse who hand made a card for the entire shift to sign, to the individual nurses, PCA's and housekeepers who came with cards, gifts and most importantly hugs and kisses...Avalon's birthday was, indeed, SPECIAL... in spite of where, when, and how it happened. Is it any wonder I love these people? |
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Our Journey:
Avalon's Army of Angels